A Force of Nature
by BluBooThalassophile
Summary: It was like getting creamed by a hurricane and tsunami, and if felt so damn good they didn't fight it. Together and yet never together they tried to navigate the force between them while also managing their lives, families, and friendships. It wasn't easy, but it was harder to be apart when it was like a force of nature between them.
1. A Hurricane

**I Do Not Own Naruto**

 **Uchiha**

Uchiha Itachi was not a man to trifle with for there were few things he genuinely cared about and they were as followed: his little brother; Uchiha Sasuke, his family, his family company, and his home city.

It was why he was the Hokage now, and had been for three years.

Now, it was not all sunshine and rainbows for Itachi; far from it, which was the scary thing as he recognized his time was limited. Not that he had told Sasuke that, no, telling his little brother that he was dying because of bone cancer; a rare, aggressive strain; would never do. It was his duty as the eldest to make certain that his little brother was happy, healthy and safe.

It had been his job since he had been fifteen.

When he had been fifteen he had been over at his girlfriend, and now wife; Izumi's house; and he had been having sex.

But that particular night, his eight years old little brother, had been home; unsurprisingly. And that night he had lost not just his parents but his little brother. Sasuke had watched as three home invaders burgled their way into their house and had watched their parents be tortured and killed before his eyes, the only reason he was alive today was because their mother had hid him in the kitchen cabinets; where Itachi had found him instead of the police. After that his little brother was gone, who replaced Sasuke was someone who even Itachi revered in many way.

The Uchiha Sasuke who was his little brother now; at twenty-three, was a ruthless business man, a heartless bastard, and a cold person. Not even Itachi could reach his little brother, and that had been fifteen years of living with Sasuke, checking over Sasuke's homework, supporting his brother, and helpless watching as Sasuke stood up to their grandfather Madara and uncle Obito. It was heart breaking.

But still, Uchiha Sasuke was his little brother and he cared deeply about him.

Now, Itachi only knew of three friends in Sasuke's inner circles; and he sincerely doubted there was someone who held his baby brother heart.

Sasuke's friends were Nara Shikamaru, Sai, and Uzumaki Naruto. Shikamaru's family had been a family friend since their infancy, and of course the two youngest heirs of the two richest families in Konoha would become best friends; they were both scary smart which was what was probably the base of their friendship. The next friend was Uzumaki Naruto, after the death of their parents Sasuke had withdrawn to a point where no one could help him. But then came Naruto, Naruto who could push his little brother's every button and have them about to strangle one another in moments; from zero seconds to point three nanoseconds later to be precise. Still, they were best friends now, but how that work Itachi didn't know. And finally there was Sai, an odd one but Sasuke and Sai had met in college and bonded over their lack of verbal skills; at least that's what Itachi thought.

Still, it had been five years; five full years since Sasuke's inner social circle had expanded and Itachi didn't think it was going to anytime soon.

Now, Sasuke had social friends; for parties and stuff for formal functions. They usually consisted of Suigetsu, Gaara, Hyūga Neji, Juugo, Akimichi Chōji, and a few others.

And Sasuke had even dated few girls. Something Itachi looked over closely; he was not going to let his little brother be hurt but it appeared his brother had already decided that. Still, Itachi was impressed with the girls Sasuke could catch; there was Yamanaka Ino. Itachi had had hopes that Sasuke would propose to her after they had dated for eight months but Sasuke had dumped her the moment marriage had become something to talk about; Itachi had mentioned it to Ino which was how it was brought up and well… the rest was history. She was now married to Sai.

Then there had been Hyūga Hinata, though that had only been in an arranged marriage meeting and a few supervised dates before Sasuke said no and left her be. Itachi did not know how to feel about it when Sasuke showed up two days after the break up with a fat lip, black eye and told him to see the dobe only for a wedding announcement from Uzumaki Naruto and Uzumaki Hinata to be posted in the Hawk saying they were married. It was a shock to say the least, though Sasuke had said it was obvious; Itachi hadn't seen it though.

And then there had been Sasuke's longest relationship; with a woman Itachi could barely tolerate. Uzumaki Karin; a distant relation of Uzumaki Naruto. He had despised that tramp; she had looked the part of being a cheap whore, swore like a sailor and was about as nice as a pit viper who had been stepped on. Still, he had put up with the gold digger for a year and a half because he had a secret hope that she could make his brother happy, and that was all he wanted for Sasuke. But that wasn't the case, apparently after a year and a half of being together Sasuke had uncovered Karin out to be a cheater; sleeping with two other men; professors at the university; Orochimaru and Kabuto, and that had ended that to Itachi's relief.

Still, Sasuke was an unhappy man, cold, distant, and lonely.

And Itachi worried that his little brother would shut everyone out after his death; the doctors gave him a year or two at the most, once the cancer was in his lungs he was doomed, and he feared he didn't have much time.

But that was what brought him to today.

He had noticed it about six weeks ago, the change in his brother. It was odd for Sasuke to seem so… light, but these past six weeks something had happened. Itachi had had an investigator and friend; Shisui dig into the matter and that was why he was sitting here in the café waiting for her to come.

Apparently his little brother had met a girl, and a very colorful girl at that; Itachi had seen the surveillance photos of her.

Her name was Haruno Sakura, she was a medical student, daughter of Haruno Kizashi; a military man who had died serving his country, her mother, Mebuki had died in a car accident a few years later and she had lived with an uncle; Hatake Kakashi. She was the star pupil and rising star of Senju Tsunade's and there were high hopes for her. She was a twenty-two and through a bunch of cram courses, and challenge tests he was a final year medical students with a promising future in trauma surgery.

He looked up when the bright girl stumbled into the café then, she was dressed in red baggy coat, pale, faded loose shirt, a black tank, jeans, combat boots, and had yellow bag with pink sakura embroidered into it. She looked rather odd, her pink hair was braided, spun up in a bun and she had a clip holding her bangs back. On her brow was a pale purple diamond tattoo, and there was a small flower tat; he was certain to be a sakura, as well, just barely noticeable above her left breast just above the neckline of the black tank. Her green eyes spotted him, he nodded and she smiled as she hurried to his table and sat.

"Hello, I was surprised to get a call from you! I mean, Uchiha Itachi, head of Indra Inc. one of the most respected companies of Konoha and the current Hokage!" she said gleefully as she dropped her bag unceremoniously on the chair. "I didn't think I'd get a reply on my application for months. And a reply from you no less, it's an honor to meet you," she said as she bowed her brow low.

Itachi blinked.

"I did not call you here for an interview of that kind," he said.

"Oh?" she Said as she sat up straight again and he had a chance to properly see her face now.

Green eyes, elegant eye brows, a large brow which suited her face and was beautifully accented by her tattoo, her lips were full, and her nose was pert as her jawline rounded slightly but wasn't childish. Over all, she was attractive, and had a beauty of the bones; but she was so… unorthodox even in appearance.

"Then why did your office call me here, I don't have any other reason to be here…" she said with a puzzled expression.

"Miss Haruno," he started.

"It's Sakura, nothing else," she interrupted then and she smiled when a waitress came over. He just blinked at someone having the audacity to interrupt him as she chatted with the waitress and they were alone again. "I don't like using my last name, it's Sakura or Hatake."

"Very well Miss Hatake,' he nodded then. She had a coffee placed bevore her, she smiled and then grabbed the sugar. His stomach snarled as he watched her pour half the sugar into the coffee and wondered if he could possibly snag that from her, he had a sweet tooth. "I asked you here about my little brother."

"Huh? I don't know another Uchiha," she blinked at him with serious green eyes as she picked up her coffee.

"You are in a relationship with my little brother, Uchiha Sasuke," he admitted.

"Oh! Sasuke! Um… not really? It was a set up date from a childhood friend of mine and his friend, I don't think he's interested in me, but he's been a great friend!" she smiled.

"Huh?" he was confused now because Shisui's report had not said this and the pictures had lead him to think that there was something here.

"Yeah, I hadn't seen Ino-Pig in… oh Kami, fifteen years, and we ran into one another at the shopping district one evening, got to chatting, clicked, were friends again. Her husband Sai suggested I go on a date with a friend of his; Sasuke; I agreed, I'm not new in Konoha, but with med school and Tsunade's tutelage I don't have a social life and I thought it would be fun. Besides, Sai's sweet so I thought his friend was sweet.

"All I knew about him was his name was Sasuke, it was a good date, he asked for my number, I saw no harm in that; I mean I get no murder vibes from him or homicidal, stalker intent from him, so I gave him my number, he dropped me off at my apartment and we've been meeting up pretty regularly as my schedule will allow because I like him and I think he's a bit lonely," she explained hurriedly as she was offered a bagel and took three; he wondered where she was going to put that on her tiny frame.

"I don't know what you think is going on between us, but we're friends, I'm too busy to be anything but a friend," she smiled at him as she smothered the bagel in cream cheese. He found he was coming to like this little hurricane. That's what Haruno Sakura was making him think of, a hurricane.

"So what's this about?" she asked.

"I thought you were dating my brother," Itachi said. She choked, he reached over and patted her back as she gasped for breath.

"Are you kidding me!?" she gasped after a long bought of coffee.

"No, he has been… lighter these past week, I thought he had a girlfriend," Itachi said softly as he assessed her carefully; she blushed a bit, and bit her lip then. He didn't know what was going on at this point really, but he knew the look of a girl with a crush, and Haruno Sakura had a crush on his brother. Of this he was certain.

"Uh… no, I don't think Sasuke's the type of guy who would date a girl who gets not one, but three tats when she's wasted, or who is a scatter brain, slightly obsessive about messes and disasters, and has barely enough time to breathe between studying and working," she chuckled. "I'm not his type also, too… less, no breasts, a bit of hips, and toothpick legs, but he's a great friend!"

"Haruno Sakura, I think you are more than you think to my brother," Itachi mused looking at the frazzled pinkette; he found he liked her. He liked her a lot, she could keep someone on their toes, and she was brash, blunt, and honest.

"Itachi?" he looked up when he heard Sasuke's voice and glanced over to his brother then at the blushing girl who grinned broadly then took a chunk out of her bagel like she was a frickin' shark as she glared at him.

"Hello Sasuke," Itachi greeted as he saw his brother walk over to their table.

"Hey Sasuke, I thought he was you and sat down to join him, sorry about this but I gotta run; I have a shift in… shit! Gotta go! Nice meeting you Itachi! Later Sasuke!" the pinkette said as she grabbed her coffee, cream cheese, the other bagels and like a hurricane left them behind. Itachi chuckled at the flurry the girl was gone in, but saw Sasuke frown as he took her vacated seat. Itachi softened.

"I think she's charming," Itachi said calmly.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted as he assessed him, Itachi wondered what was going on in his brother's head.

"What are your intentions with this one?" Itachi asked.

"Hn," Sasuke shrugged.

"Sasuke…" Itachi started.

"I don't know," Sasuke said as he ordered his coffee, Itachi ordered one as well because his sweet tooth was aching for something now.

"Sasuke, you need to let someone in," he scolded.

"I like her Itachi, I like her a lot," Sasuke snapped softly. Itachi warmed at those words then. There was hope; halleluiah! Perhaps his demon of a baby brother was not condemned to a life of darkness and solitude.

"Tell me about her," Itachi said softly as he prepared his served coffee.

"She's annoying," Sasuke said calmly. "But she's… I don't know, she's Sakura," he shrugged.

"Are you two dating?" he asked.

"No, she's out of my league," Sasuke said calmly. Itachi blinked remembering those very words from a hasty Sakura after she nearly choked to death on a bagel.

"I would wait for her Sasuke, she's a keeper," he assured his brother softly.

"Hn," Sasuke shrugged and they sipped their coffees in silence. Itachi knew though, he knew from that moment on his brother was Sakura's, and Sakura belonged to his brother. He knew just from looking at them. Which brought him to his next plan of attack, getting Sasuke someone he could love before time ran out. Itachi just wanted to know his baby brother was cared for, and with his impending death it was more important to set this up now rather than later.

* * *

 **Sorry about the other day, there was no update here; I just rearranged the chapters because it bothered me that the I'm Alive mini arch was interrupted with funny pieces or my inquiry into fandom; it needed to flow together. And yesterday I was bored in my hotel so I thought to rearrange them as I thought over my personal piece.**

 **Anyways!**

 **This is probably the last update in Uchiha for a while, but stay tuned for other oddballs I might post!**

 **That's all for now folks!**

 **Enjoy Uchiha! =)**


	2. A Tsunami

**I Do Not Own Naruto**

 **Uchiha**

Uchiha Sasuke was many things to a lot of people, he knew this and had a front for everyone who expected something of him.

He was a cunning business man for his uncle, grandfather, and brother.

He was a cruel, coldhearted bastard to his enemies.

He was a powerful man with a powerful name and was to be feared.

And he was the most loyal of friends to the few he dared call friends. No, seriously, he knew that if any of his three friends committed a murder he was the first call they'd be making to get rid of the body; and he'd never breath a word of it after it was done.

He had dated Ino because she was light, she was easy to be around and she was alive.

He had courted Hinata strenuously when the dobe had beaten him up and declared his love for the Hyūga; Sasuke had handed the dobe the keys to his fastest bike, ten grand in cash, a map and told the dobe to treat Hinata right before waving them off for their elopement. A week later the wedding announcement in the Hawk.

He had dated Karin; and date was a loose term for what she was; she was a quick fuck who had a loud mouth declaring herself something more than she was. He had let her because he just didn't give a shit, she was a fuck buddy; nothing more. And the moment she was triple dipping was the moment he had severed all ties to her and walked away without looking back.

Now, to most this would be considered issues; and he was probably a walking textbook of psychological issues if he were to be examined. But that was if he let anyone in past his icy front; keeping people at a distance meant nothing could hurt him again and nothing could be taken from him again. Though the few things which were his: his brother, his sister-in-law, Shikamaru, Naruto and by extension Hinata, and Sai and by extension of Sai, Ino; he guarded, protected and watched over with everything he had. He had crushed Pein Nagato when he had come black mailing Naruto, he had literally helped Shikamaru dispose of the body of one Hidan who had tried to kill Shikamaru, and he had destroyed Sai's father's company, Danzo Co. because of his attempt to kill Sai.

Yes, what was Sasuke's was protected, cared for and guarded carefully. He would not lose another person in his life because of cruel assholes with a gun. It wasn't happening.

Not to mention he had done a hostile takeover of Indra Inc. from his uncle and grandfather the moment he heard that Obito and Madara were going to vote Itachi out of the company; not that his brother knew about this until Sasuke showed up for the board meeting and simply said that he was in charge of their family's shares. It was bullshit but Sasuke kept to the lie.

Yes, he was a dangerous man, and he didn't give a fuck about it until someone tried to fuck with him. He had and could kill his enemies, and he could destroy companies and annihilate empires that had taken generations to cultivate the moment anything he deemed his was fucked with.

But he was alone, very alone, and he recognized this since he had been eight. He felt alone when he was in a crowd with his associates, and at the family dinners with Itachi, and when he was out drinking with his friends.

Sasuke had always felt alone, and he had never noticed until a tsunami came crashing into his life shattering every barrier he had placed around himself, and destroying every safety net he had mentally.

Haruno Sakura had done it so effortlessly too that there were times he would find himself just staring at her wondering how she did that; how did that walking disaster break everything in and around him? And how could she do it with nothing but an innocent smile and a sharp perspective?

About three months ago he had been badgered into going on a blind date with one of Ino's friends; Sai had said it would be good with him and he just didn't have the fight in him anymore. He would go to the date, if only to appease Ino and her constant badgering because he wanted to be able to come over on Sunday and watch the game without Ino harassing him; worse she had had Hinata gang up on him with her. And with Hinata came Naruto and if Naruto was in on it so was Shikamaru, and if Shikamaru was in on it so was his fiancé Temari (who was both extremely sexy and terrifying), then there was Sai who joined because Ino threatened to withhold sex from him.

Well, you got the idea at this point; and Sasuke just wanted his life back on the track of peaceful so he had relented and agreed to take one Haruno Sakura on a date; a girl who only Ino knew and Ino had seen. Which was a terrifying prospect because Ino's friends were… well, they were bizarre and stranger than a Martian from Mars.

He had arrived at the restraurant early thinking up excuses on the way there to leave in twenty. Five minutes later in came the most beautiful; ridiculous looking woman he had ever seen in his life.

She had bouncy pink hair, green eyes, a face of an angel, a large brow which had a pale purple diamond on it, she was in a black sheath like dress, was wearing a man's leather jacket, black tights covering her legs, sandal heels, and red lipstick. She looked like a sin and he found he couldn't even looked away, then she smiled and looked like an innocent angel as she sat down for dinner.

Enchanting did not describe her for she wasn't really socially graceful, he wondered if there was a filter between her mouth and her brain even, but she was amusing. She had eaten like a teenage boy too, she had taken the appetizer, the bread, the salad, a steak with two sides, and an ice cream desert which had her teeth chattering for their meal and he found it amazing. He had no idea where she even put it, she was tiny.

After dinner he drove her home, he found he didn't want her to get out of the car or to see her walk away, and he asked for her number. It was the first time in his life he had ever had to ask for a girl's number, normally girls were slipping their numbers into his hands and pockets along with hotel keys and whispering promises. She had seemed genuinely baffled at his wanting her number but smiled as she jotted it down forewarned him that she wasn't liable to answer because she was a fourth year med student and would soon be working on her residency. He said he understood, a white haired man with a nasty scar on his right eye appeared in the door, she kissed Sasuke's cheek and was out of the car as she called for Uncle Kakashi and jogged up the stairs and somehow pulled her shoes off while she did that.

He had just smiled and drove home.

They started meeting up for coffee, lunches, the occasional dinner and he found her to be so out of his league and so out of his reach that it was painful, but he had eagerly accepted her friendship.

She was so innocent, so light, so bright that she was just out of his reach; he was a demon and he had even been nicknamed that. He would be her destruction, and he tried to stay away from her because he knew this. Anything good in his life usually died, and he knew this so he tried to stay away.

But Haruno Sakura was a magnet which attracted him and he couldn't stay away from her; and Kami knew he tried. He had fought to stay away from her. But it hadn't worked and he'd always find himself knocking on Hatake Kakashi's door to enjoy time with his niece and even Kakashi himself.

So, imagine his surprise when he had seen Sakura in their café one morning downing her bagels like the shark she was (seriously, the girl ate like a shark!), with his elder brother. That had been… about six weeks prior to where he was today as he lay on Sakura's queen size bed as she studied for some test she didn't need to study for. His eyes raked over her slight figure as she munched on a burrito, popcorn, and there was a chocolate bar for later, and a glass of orange juice on the night stand.

"What do the tattoos mean?" he asked suddenly, they hadn't spoken a word for hours and now as he looked at the characters for Yin and Yang on her inner thigh.

"Hm?"

"The tattoos," he said as he lightly poked her brow where his favorite tattoo was.

"Oh! I was drunk," she chuckled.

"You've said," he replied blandly and she giggled.

"Well, it was my seventeenth birthday, I didn't have friends; none, and I thought it was a good idea to get smashed for the first time ever and ended up in a tattoo parlor. The diamond on my brow is for strength, if I had been sober I'd have never gotten it, the Sakura on my heart is a reminder to love myself, again I wouldn't have gotten it, and the Yin and Yang are for… well, that's for me to know and no one else," she chuckled. "Why?"

"They just seem like an odd mixture of places, especially the forehead," he said.

"I hate my forehead, I thought the least I could do to make this billboard brow of mine pleasant to look at was to put a symbol there, I did not pick purple; thankfully the tattoo guy did," she said.

"Huh," he nodded. He found her to be so odd, loving of everyone but she seemed to have things about herself she despised. It was so strange in his mind.

"Kakashi was not happy when he saw them the morning after, and I can't blame him; they were all red and irritated!" she laughed. "But they… I think they aren't horrible, I can live with them."

"Is that not all that matters?" he inquired.

"I guess, though the forehead is a stupid place for a tat," she giggled.

"I think it suits you," he assured her and she smiled.

"Thanks, my mentor asked me if I was married though," she grouched and he laughed a real laugh.

"It's not that funny!" she shrieked.

"It is though," he assured her as he propped himself up on her bed and tucked a stray strand of her wayward pink hair.

"It really does not help I'm a natural born pinkette; I went through a whole punk phase when I was thirteen, drove Kakashi bananas!" she giggled.

"Mohawk?"

"Of course! Even shaved my head to have the Mohawk work; if I'm lucky I will never see a picture of that surface on the web," she said and he smirked.

"I bet you were a strange punk," he mused.

"I thought you'd say annoying," she teased.

"You are that," he deadpanned, she burst into laughter then. "Now, I need to get to studying and you're distracting me, go take over a small country or something. I have a test tomorrow!"

Sasuke didn't know what happened next but he just knew that staring at her he couldn't look away. She smiled, bit her lip and he moved. The gasp from her was his chance as her softer lips yielded to his demanding kiss. His tongue lipped between her teeth and he could taste that damn burrito on her tongue. But there was something more there, there was an electric thrill which coursed through him as he kissed her and he pulled away gasping for breath as he stared at her startled green eyes.

"Sasuke…" she breathed. He pulled himself up, pressed his lips to that diamond tat before pulling away, grabbing his coat and book.

"I need… I…" he couldn't lie to her.

"Sasuke," she turned to him and he stared at the girl who had broken everything about him and seen through him months ago. "Thanks, that was a great first kiss."

He was on her again as he pulled her tight against him, her arms wrapped around his shoulders as he kissed her hard, and kissed her like it was like the last thing he'd ever do. Pulling away he saw her swollen, bruised lips, her hooded eyes and that innocent trusting look she gave him.

"I need to go," he murmured.

"Yeah," she agreed breathlessly, he kissed her lightly again. "Sasuke, you're… thank you."

"I'll see you later Sakura," he managed as he left her behind. She was alone tonight, Kakashi worked nights at a bar so Sakura could go to school. And as he hurried out of the house he made a mental note to never be at her house alone again, he might have taken more than a kiss.

Glancing back he looked up at her window to see her standing there holding her curtains back, he smirked as she shyly hid again and he got in his car.

Now there was another problem, Haruno Sakura scared him because he had never felt that with anyone.

Driving to his place he pulled into his spot, got into the elevator and was riding it up to the penthouse when the doors slid open and he found himself looking at Itachi who was sipping a sniffer of alcohol.

"Sorry to intrude," Itachi said.

"You have a key," Sasuke pointed out as he pulled off his coat again and tossed it on the chair and poured himself a sniffer as he walked over to Itachi.

"We were expecting you for dinner," Itachi sad.

"Got busy," he lied.

"How is Sakura anyway?" Itachi asked blandly.

"Are you spying on me?" Sasuke asked as he took a sip of burning alcohol in an attempt to wash the dark, sweet, intoxicating flavor of Haruno Sakura away.

"No, just making an educated guess as to your whereabouts," Itachi answered blandly.

"Hn," he grunted and they both stared over the prospering village's night life.

"Bring her to dinner next week," Itachi said.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted. He didn't want to share her, that was his problem. Sharing her with his family is what a family dinner would entail and he didn't want to share her yet, her uncle was one thing, Ino another and her studies but he did not feel like bringing her over to Itachi's and Izumi's just yet.

"Please Sasuke, I would like to get to know her better," Itachi said disarmingly.

"Fine," Sasuke conceded.

"Thank you Sasuke," Itachi said.

"Aa," he nodded as he knocked the alcohol back.

"And you know I love you, right Sasuke?" Itachi asked suddenly which had Sasuke looking over to Itachi.

"Aa, and I love you brother," he assured his brother again.

"Good, I expect her there on Sunday, so does Izumi," Itachi said then as he finished his drink and set the glass aside.

"She'll be there," Sasuke reluctantly admitted.

"Thank you Sasuke, I know you do not particularly like sharing," Itachi said as he set his sniffer down and walked to the elevator and Sasuke just stared down at the lively city feeling utterly alone again now that she wasn't near.

What the hell was the matter with him!?

Setting his sniffer aside he walked to his king size bed and found it to be too lonely as he took his normal sleeping perch; the couch.

Like he said, he was the walking textbook of fucked up.

No doubt he needed help he wasn't seeking; closing his eyes he dreamt of pink and green with mysterious sad eyes and an innocent smile.

* * *

 **That's all for now folks!**

 **Enjoy A Force of Nature! =)**


	3. A Thunderstorm

**I Do Not Own Naruto**

 **Uchiha**

Haruno Sakura was a born liar, in fact she was so good at lying it was her best tallent, she was great at it, it was what she did best, in fact she did not think there were any better than she at lying.

She could lie to the cops and say that her mother's accident had been an accident; when truthfully her mother had tried to kill them both when she had been in the vehicle because her mother hated her very existence. She could lie to the shrinks and tell them she was fine, and prove it by being happy; or faking happy, she was great at that lie. And she could lie to Kakashi and say she was fine, that she was happy here and that it was alright that she didn't have friends, and that it was alright that she didn't have a life outside of her small family.

Yes, she could lie.

Hell, the person she was best at lying to was herself, and she got up every day and told herself that there was nothing wrong with being the hated girl, being the oddball, being the weird one, and being alone. She liked being alone, she was great at being alone, at least, that was the lie she told herself religiously as she ignored the laughing kids, the mean girls, the assholes, and would sit alone in the library studying. She could be such a liar, and that was okay with her.

She had been lying for so long that there were times she fancied it to be the truth rather than the lie.

See, lying made the truth not hurt, and her reality hurt like hell, so she lied, and she didn't mind. But when she got drunk for the first time ever she couldn't lie to herself, it was why she had gone to the tattoo parlor wanting not one, but three tats.

She had gotten the diamond on her brow; thankfully it was a pale purple to match her pale complexion, and her pale pink hair. The diamond reminded her she was strong, that she was a survivor, and it was alright to be honest with herself from time to time. The sakura she had over her heart was a vibrant pink and it was there to remind her that though her mother hadn't loved her, she needed to love herself and she was loved by Kakashi and his many dogs. On her right, inner thigh she had gotten the characters for Yin and Yang, and she got those to remind herself that though she was standing in the light her heart was wrapped up in darkness, and she was going to be alright one day when she would find balance in herself. At least, this is what she told herself.

It had been a month after her twenty-second birthday though when her world had shifted, her lonely existence had changed when she was shopping for dinner for her and Kakashi. It was a good day, bright, warm, sunny, and it was a comfortable day.

She ran into one of her childhood friends then, Yamanaka Ino, she was shopping for her husband and her. Sakura had been baffled that there was someone from her past who didn't hate her, who didn't look at her and call her demented, attention seeking, or tell her she was ugly.

Ino had done most the talking, and Sakura had found herself relaxing; slowly but surely. And that was the first friend Sakura had had in forever, Ino was actually interested in her, and didn't think her odd. There was no pity or lying from Ino; at least, she didn't think there was, and Sakura slowly let her guard down around the beautiful blonde.

After months of meeting up and chatting and getting to know one another again Sakura didn't feel as alone. She had laughed at her first meeting of Ino's beloved husband Sai, slugged him for calling her ugly and knocked him on his ass with her punch. Ino had laughed, and Sai had groaned in pain muttering something about her being like some Sasuke guy and she had been in a huff. It had hurt, it had hurt a lot to be called ugly again, but Sai explained and then she thought it hilarious.

She took the nickname Ugly from him because after he explained she thought it hilarious.

After that she and Sai hit it off, and she found she envied Ino for being so thoroughly loved by another living being. They were so unbelievably, and unbearably happy together that it was amusing to her, and it hurt her a bit.

See, Sakura had wanted _that_ , she had wanted that kind of love in her life and she couldn't lie about wanting that to herself; she had tried. But even if she couldn't bear lying to herself about that she could bear to bury the truth deep and say she was happy single. And though that burned like acid on her tongue she could say it, and fake the smile for it, and even tease Ino for having such a sappy love life.

And it was alright.

Sakura did not see any problem with herself, she could survive, she could keep going and she could work to be a surgeon and one day she would be the best and no one would laugh at her, or focus on her odd looks. No one would see her, they would see what she was. And that was her goal. She would work her ass off to get there too, and she would prove all those haters that she didn't need them and that they were free to hate how she appeared.

But Ino didn't think this was a way to live, in fact it was because of Ino she got talked into going on a blind date only six months after reuniting with her friend. Reluctantly she agreed, partially out of curiosity as to what dates were like, and partially because she was tired of everyone calling her a prude because she didn't sleep around.

Getting dressed was easy, it wasn't like she had assets to highlight for a guy; she was just a step above flat chested, she had long toothpick legs, minimal hips, and a slight curve, but no guy would ever look twice at her with her natural pink hair, pale complexion which washed out in every environment, and green eyes that didn't match her hair or complexion.

Grabbing Kakashi's leather jacket that he had handed down to her she hurried to the bus and rode to the restaurant. Once there she was startled to find herself looking at a man sexy as sin, and she had felt like a very ugly little duckling then who wanted to walk right out of the restraurant and hide under the covers of her bed for an eternity, she should have known that Ino was joking with her when she said that she had a guy who would like her. Sakura figured this was the guy who dated super models, and actresses for kicks. She was about to leave when she saw his onyx eyes zero in on her and she knew she had been seen. There was no going back, she had mustered up her minimal self-confidence, shoved her shoulders back and held her chin up as she played the normal liar she was and smiled like she was good enough to even be in his presence.

His name was Sasuke, that was all she knew about him when she met him, and she found him to be amazing. So far out of her league that it was painful but she liked him, he listened to everything she talked about, he actually listened and she knew because of how he was looking at her, and he talked with her. Not to her, not over her, not behind her, or around her, he talked with her. It was a novel concept to her and she fell for him then.

But it would never work, she knew that as she savored her first, and likely last date, even as he offered to drive her home. She had fallen hard and she made a mental note to not over react or embarrass herself with this one time thing, he wouldn't want to see her again, she was used to that.

She nearly had a stroke when he pulled up to her house and asked for her number, before she could think of a lie to prevent her heart from being destroyed again she handed him her number, forewarned him that she was busy. He said he understood, she kissed his cheek on impulse and hurried away before she could really embarrass herself as she smiled to her uncle and hugged him as she watched Sasuke drive away from the corner of her eye.

He wasn't going to call.

He called.

She had nearly had a heart attack; in fact, she had been so startled by that first call that she fell off her bed, hit her head, bruised her hip and stubbed her toe. Slowly they started hanging out, she found she loved his company, she liked going to coffee with him, lunch and even dinner with him on occasion. They were friends, at least that's what she hoped they were, it was hard to tell with Sasuke. But she liked that he was quiet, that he was a bit dark, very dangerous, and a clear bad boy; there was a bit of a thrill of being around him because of that. Still, she worked at having him as her friend because she wanted to be a friend of his even if she couldn't have the guy she loved love her back. Haruno Sakura was the Queen of Settling In Life.

She had had the living daylights scared out of her though when she met Uchiha Itachi and learnt that Sasuke was his little brother. The Uchiha were not only out of her league, reach, and solar system but they were a galaxy away and there would be nothing between her and Sasuke. Itachi didn't seem to think that though and the thought of dating Sasuke had her choking on her bagel. After that she had explained what she and Sasuke were, she had bitterly pointed out that Sasuke was out of her league and left it at that. she had hurried away though when Sasuke had appeared, a quick slip of a white lie and a need to escape and she fled faster than either brother could blink.

Sasuke wasn't just Sasuke.

He was Uchiha Sasuke and now she knew this thing between them needed to stop. She would be hurt by this, some how, some way, and she didn't ever want to be hurt again.

Still, she couldn't seem to stay away from Sasuke, they still met up and then one night he just kissed her. Her first kiss ever, and he just took it, at twenty-two this could be considered pathetic but… she was glad it was Sasuke who had kissed her.

The kiss had been hot, it had been passionate, it had been electric, edgy, and it had been dangerous, oh so very dangerous. She had loved it. But he was quick to leave after, she was glad he had left before he could take more than a kiss and she watched him go from behind her curtains.

She had a way to describe Sasuke, he was like a thunderstorm, one of the most powerful forces on earth. That was Sasuke, he was dark, he was scary, he was powerful, he had an electric thrill about him which made her hairs stand on end in anticipation, and he was so very dangerous.

She promised herself that this was going to stop, it was going to stop before she was vulnerable enough to have her heart ripped apart and set on fire as it was tossed into a dumpster fire and kicked down a hill speeding towards a car wreck sitting on the train track about to get hit by a train, crashed into by a plane and tossed into the sea for a boat to run over.

No.

She was not going to be hurt.

And yet, a week later she found herself wriggling in a pink sundress that faded from white to pink to blood red at the bottom as she pulled on her black tights, then her combat boots. Braiding her hair she grabbed her favorite leather jacket and walked into the light rain outside as she stood under a black umbrella waiting nervously.

Sasuke had told her she was going to his family's dinner and the prospect was terrifying.

His black Audi pulled up to the curb then, she climbed in and closed her umbrella.

"I could have taken the bus," she started.

"No, you're not taking the bus dress like this," Sasuke said firmly.

"It's a sundress! You said look nice," she argued.

"And that's why you're not riding the bus," he said. She didn't get him some times, it wasn't like there was a guy out there interested in her; she was still trying to figure out why he had kissed her a week ago. "Tell me about your day."

She launched into explaining everything, and he listened to her as she talked the entire ride to his brother's place. She was no longer nervous about this as they pulled up to the garage.

"Uh… are you sure they wanted me and not your girlfriend or something," she asked him as she got out of his car.

"Sakura," he said coldly.

"Yes?" she asked nervously.

"Relax," he ordered as he tapped her brow and she swatted at him as she stomped after him. Sakura did not understand his obsession with her diamond tattoo but he was always poking it. Her breath hitched when she was greeted by a beautiful woman, her black hair was long and straight, her features were exotic and sharp, and her smile breathtaking.

"You must be Sasuke's friend! I'm Izumi, Itachi's wife," she said.

"Pleased to meet you," Sakura said as they shook hands.

"Between you and me, I'm really happy that Sasuke's found someone," Izumi whispered to her.

"Oh… we're friends," Sakura said softly then.

"Sure you are, now, drinks, Sasuke said you like whiskey and sake, we have both, but wine goes with dinner," Izumi said. She looked uncertainly at Sasuke who tilted his head as she was dragged out of the room.

"You know, you've brightened up Sasuke a lot, he's been considerably happier with you in his life these past few months," Izumi smiled.

"Uh… Sasuke's no different from when I met him," she smiled as she accepted the sniffer of whiskey.

"Oh, we both know that's not true," Izumi purred.

"No," Sakura furiously shook her head.

"Ah, this must be Sasuke's mysterious Haruno Sakura!" a man said from the arch way, she turned and stared at another good looking man.

"Be nice to her, Shisui, apparently she's shy," Izumi chuckled.

"When have I ever not been nice, Izumi?" the man asked.

"Uchiha Shusui," he introduced as he took her hand and kissed the back of her knuckles, she felt her face heating up then.

"Flirting with girls my age is not your style Shusui," Sasuke's cold voice said, and Sakura turned in relief to see him glaring at the older man. Sakura was quick to take up a spot beside Sasuke if only to assure herself not to be surrounded by these strangers.

"Ah, the prodigal son returned! You should know that uncle and grandfather are here tonight," Shusui said.

"Hn," Sasuke lifted his brow and Sakura tensed, she had thought she was only meeting his brother and sister-in-law tonight.

"Yes, Uncle and Grandfather both decided it was time to meet this lovely little wildflower," Shusui said smoothly. Sakura's eyes narrowed and she frowned as she tried to figure out if there was an insult in here that she didn't know about.

"I see the lunatic is here," Itachi said coldly, he seemed to direct the comment to Shusui who grinned mischievously, she looked up at Itachi then and stiffened. "It is a pleasure to see you again Miss Hatake."

"You as well," she smiled slightly and bobbed her head.

"And meet our grandfather and uncle, Uchiha Madara, and Uchiha Obito, grandfather, uncle, his is the friend of Sasuke's I spoke to you about," Itachi said, and she stiffened when two more men joined the room.

* * *

 **That's all for now folks!**

 **Enjoy Force of Nature! =)**


	4. A Blizzard

**I Do Not Own Naruto**

 **Uchiha**

Sakura was quick down her drink at that statement and felt like running away. There was a line from movie which was screaming in her head and it went like this: 'Run Girl! Run Like You On Fire!'. Yup, it was encouraging to have her common sense quoting things like _the_ _Heat_ , and she was tempted to follow the advice.

Still she smiled, squared her shoulders and held her head up high as she was guided into the living room where she was greeted by two men, the first was an old man, his hair was snowy white, his eyes were like Sasuke's and Itachi's, he had weathered, exotic features, and a look of a permanent scowl. He was also intimidating, she stepped nearer to Sasuke because she had a bad feeling about him. Sasuke's hand touched the small of her back and she relaxed a little.

The second man had a terrible set of scars on the left half of his face; crush injuries she'd guess, black hair, black eyes, he looked about her uncle's age, had rounder features, but no less exotic and he smiled sweetly. Still, she was uneasy at this point as she looked to Sasuke and Itachi for guidance.

"Miss Hatake, my grandfather, and uncle, Madara, Obito, Sasuke's friend Miss Hatake," Itachi said with a gesture, she bobbed her head, she felt like she had walked into a blizzard now.

"I thought you said her name is Haruno Sakura," Madara snapped.

"I don't go by Haruno," she said suddenly which had four pairs of eyes narrowing on her, Sasuke's hand was still on the small of her back, and she sensed Itachi's unease as she spoke. "Haruno was my family name, but I was raised by my uncle, Hatake Kakashi, I even had my name legally changed."

"Then why do you go by Haruno?" Madara demanded, she held a level glare with him.

"Because it's on my birth certificate and that's it," she snapped back as she glared back.

Madara snorted.

"You do not get to judge me; you old bastard, and if you're going to try I will march right out that door and walk home," she snapped and pulled away from Sasuke and Itachi then as she marched up to stand before Madara; he was really pissing her off. "I consider it rude and insulting that you, an Uchiha would judge me without knowing me."

"You are an impudent girl," Madara girl.

"I try," she flippantly snapped as she folded her arms and glared daringly at him. She saw the corner of his lip twitch then, she held her ground.

"Izumi, what is for dinner," the uncle; Obito interrupted, she didn't pull away from her glaring contest with Madara though.

"Chicken, rice, vegetables, red wine, and dango for desert," Izumi supplied quickly.

"Sounds lovely," Obito said. Sakura resisted the desire to tap her foot in irritation at Madara's attitude but she would not back down. No one had a right to judge the name she used, especially when Kakashi was the only person to ever love her.

"Grandfather, Miss Hatake is my guest, stop harassing her," Itachi said, Madara pulled away from the glaring contest and she spun on her heel as she nearly crashed into Sasuke then. Sasuke caught her before she could embarrass herself.

"That was foolish," he informed her as they walked to the dining room.

"I don't like him!" she snapped.

"No one likes him." was Sasuke's soft reply and she was seated for dinner.

The Uchiha family was an odd collection of relatives, Itachi sat at the head of the table, Izumi on his left, Sasuke on his right, she sat beside Sasuke, beside her was Obito, and across from her was Shusui, across from Obito was Madara who was glaring at her and she chose to ignore him. Dinner was a quiet affair and not one she was particularly fond of but she endured the next hours in silence because she didn't want to embarrass herself by saying what was on her mind. More often times, than not, that was the thing which got her into trouble with strangers.

Finished the meal she thanked Itachi and Izumi for having her, Sasuke gave her, her coat back and she climbed into the car then. Once situated Sasuke drove her towards her home.

"Your family is… nice," she murmured.

"You can say Madara's an ass," he said, she giggled.

"No, he was just an obstinate old man," she sighed.

"No need to be polite for that bastard," Sasuke said seriously and she sighed.

"You're loved," she whispered.

"Huh?"

"Nothing, I just thought that it was nice," she said then and smiled as they pulled up to Kakashi's. "Thanks," she said, she smiled at Sasuke and she was shocked when he caught her chin and she found herself being kissed again.

Sakura melted, she heard a part of her brain scream this was a bad idea, she was going to be hurt again, but there was that thrill of kissing Sasuke again. It was electric, it was magnetic, thrilling, there was that dark edge to him which had her never wanting to stop as his fingers slipped through her hair, he pulled away.

"You should go," he murmured.

"Uh-huh," she managed numbly and she fled before she could be hurt. Her battered heart couldn't take another break and she wasn't going to be hurt. Hurrying up to the door she turned and saw him, she smiled involuntarily, waved, then slipped into the house before anything else could happen, locked the door and peeked out the window as she saw him pull away again.

Her breath hitched and again her knees felt weak and she struggled to let the dogs out before going to change into her comfy sweats and resuming her studying. It was important that she get the match she wanted. Flopping on her bed she pulled out her books, her notes and resumed her work.

People came and people went, the only one she had to look out for was herself; she reminded herself this again and again she started working her ass off.

The following weeks were busy for her, between her schooling, learning, the hospital, and her job she barely had a moment to breath and it was hard to keep up and keep track of herself. Somehow though, Sakura stayed on top of everything she had going on and was at the top of her class. Her only competition was a girl who called her freak; one Uzumaki Karin. Honestly Sakura wanted to slug her, but she wouldn't.

Uzumaki Karin was nothing, nothing, even when all of her friends ganged up on Sakura. Still, it was getting tiring to have to continuously retrieve her ruined books, or be bullied into garbage can or something. One would think that high school behaviors were discarded at twenty-two, almost twenty-three years of age but apparently not. Still, Sakura ignored the assholes and just did her studying. It was important to her that she became a trauma surgeon and no one was going to fuck that up for her.

Of course Sakura lied to Kakashi about the strange bruises she had, chalking them up to clumsiness. She didn't think her uncle bought it but he left it alone.

Around Christmas she was jumped outside of the hospital, she had screamed and fought, but it hadn't saved her when her head was hit.

All of Christmas and New Years was a blank for her, she woke in the hospital in January to see Kakashi at her bed side, Sasuke there too, and a roaring headache when her mentor walked in with her charts. Sakura had suffered a shattered ulna and a broken radius on her left arm, a broken pinky and ring finger on her right hand, a fractured pelvis, three broken ribs, a fractured jaw, a concussion, a dislocated left shoulder, a broken clavicle on her left side and a fractured femur. She had also been cut pretty bad, but it had not cut her organs or anything. The police had caught the people who had jumped her immediately, like the day after she had been found unconscious by the hospital dumpster.

Apparently it had been Uzumaki Karin, her brother, Sasori, his friends Deidara and Kakuzu. Karin was apparently about to lose her match and desired program because Sakura was the better student and medical student and that hadn't sat well with Karin. Sakura was the target, and the goal was to knock her out of the program and school. Literally.

Sakura had cried, the moment she was alone she had cried, everything she had been working her ass for was gone and it was because of a selfish bitch.

She tried to assure her uncle that she would pay for the medical bills and the physical therapy coming her way, but she had no idea how they were going to afford this when they were barely afloat with her being in med school. Kakashi had ordered her not to worry about it, but she did.

Every day Sasuke visited, Ino visited her every other day, Sai came with her sometimes, and Itachi came by once a week with Izumi at his side. Kakashi of course was there with her every day, but she had thought it odd that there were other people visiting her, she still wasn't all that well liked by other people.

Six weeks later she was being discharged; Kakashi couldn't be there because he had gotten another job at a local garage to pay for the bills, and Sakura had promised she'd be fine. She fully intended to take the bus, it wasn't that far of a ride. Signing out of the hospital she was surprised to see Sasuke was there with Ino and Sai along with two other guys she didn't recognize; one blonde and a bit goofy looking, and the other black haired and lazy looking. Ino had promptly taken over wheeling her out of the hospital, avowing all sorts of hideous revenge on Karin if she was ever seen again.

The blonde was Sasuke's self-proclaimed best friend, Uzumaki Naruto, a very, very, very distant relation of Uzumaki Karin and he was not proud of it.

The pineapple head was Nara Shikamaru, he was a lazy genius and was only there because Ino had threatened him. Also, he was a childhood friend of Sasuke's.

Sakura was loaded up in Sasuke's vehicle, and he drove her home. Perhaps the idea of take the bus was a bad idea when she saw the amount of ice there was and she was in a wheel chair…

All of his friends helped her once they got to Kakashi's, Sasuke carried her into the house, Naruto had her bags, Shikamaru the odd number of flowers she had gotten; and Sai helped with the flowers. Ino tossed the dogs out and made up her bed. Once she was settled on the couch; her bed; they all stayed. Which was startling as Sasuke popped in a movie, handed her, her meds.

Sakura took them and thirty minutes later she was out like a light.

The next year was hell on her, it wasn't easy, and she didn't know how she did it as she rehabbed. There were times she wanted to break down screaming, crying, and cursing the world, but she couldn't. she was a liar and lied to herself that this wasn't going to set her back as she struggled to be in control of her body again.

Dr. Senju Tsunade personally oversaw her PT, and it sucked. But strangely enough Sakura didn't lose her slot for the programs. Tsunade had refused to take an apprentice, she had told Sakura the slot was hers' after she completed her PT.

Sakura was hobbled across her graduation stage on a crutch, got her diploma and was told she'd receive her match next year; which had her in tears. Sasuke, Sai, Shikamaru, Ino, Naruto, Hyūga Hinata, a girl named Temari, Tsunade, Itachi, Izumi, Shusui, Madara, and Obito were all sitting with Kakashi at her graduation.

Continuing with her struggles with PT she fought hard to get her body back. It hurt, it damn near killed her but she was cleared that November. She had wept at that news, and she was given an apprenticeship with Tsunade that would start in January. Sakura had cried, and lied when she said she believed she could make it there.

Sakura was startled when she walked out of the hospital into a blizzard and saw Madara standing there next to a car, his cane in hand.

"Madara," she said uncertainly as she pulled her red jacket closer to herself and her scarf a little tighter.

"Get in the damn car, I'm cold." The elder snapped, reluctantly Sakura climbed into the car, Madara slid in next to her and he shut the door.

"I have never been a good grandparent or parent," he said harshly, she stiffened.

"But, I have seen how much my grandson cares about you, and he does not care for many. I do not like you girl, I do not like your colors, I do not like your attitude, I do not like your personality," Madara said. Sakura scowled at him. "However, you are the first girl to ever come into my home and dare to glare at me, and I respect you for what you have gone through. So I will warn you now, if it is money you are after you will not receive any of it, if it is the Uchiha name you are after it is not yours'. But should you join this family we will be honored to have you in it," he said.

"Sasuke's just a friend," Sakura agrued and stabbed her own heart with that lie.

"Believe that lie if you must, but if you ever betray my grandson I will see to your end," Madara warned and the car stopped, she saw they were in front of Kakashi's house and she looked at Madara.

"I don't like you either," she snapped. "But… I can respect you."

She got out of the car and carefully walked to the house through the blizzard and left the Uchiha behind. It had been a painful twenty-third year of her life and it reminded her of her life with her mother. She wanted to cry at the pain. But she wouldn't give Madara the satisfaction of her crying. Madara made her think of a raging blizzard, so cold and angry.

Shutting her house door, she turned around when her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Where the hell are you!?" Sasuke roared in the phone, she held it an arms' length away as he shouted at her.

"I'm home, your grandfather gave me a ride, I don't know why though," she sighed as she slowly sat down and winced at the dull throbbing pain.

"I will be at your house in ten and you had better be there," he snapped and hung up.

She sighed as she looked up at the ceiling, what was his problem? It wasn't like she was his girlfriend or something, and she closed her eyes and sighed. Ten minutes later the door was thrown open, she shivered at the blasting blizzard flew in and green looked at onyx, Sasuke shut the door and sat beside her.

"How was PT?" he asked,

"It sucked, but I'm cleared, I'm Tsunade's apprentice this January," she murmured.

"Good," he nodded.

* * *

 **That's all for now folks!**

 **Enjoy A Force of Nature! =)**


	5. A Vortex

**I Do Not Own Naruto**

 **Uchiha**

Sasuke stared at her as she slept on the couch, they had been hanging out, she was on her residency as Tsunade's apprentice, and she was exhausted. First year resident, she didn't sleep all that much. currently she was curled up beside him on Kakashi's couch and Kakashi sleeping beside her. They were both exhausted, and he knew it as he looked at the movie Sakura had wanted to watch for her twenty-fourth birthday.

He still had nightmares from a year and a half ago when he got a call from Kakashi asking if Sakura was with him. Saying no Sasuke said she had intended to take the bus home, she wasn't home, and they had panicked. Sasuke had run straight to the hospital, ran just about every damn red light there was to run, even had a traffic summons over how many he had run but he couldn't care about it.

After scouring the hospital and not finding her, Kakashi called from the library saying she wasn't there. Sasuke said he'd check her haunts, he had walked out of the hospital and headed for the bus stop; just in case and that was when he found a mangle twisted red and pink girl covered head to toe in blood, grim, bruises and snow, he hadn't thought to shout for help, he had grabbed her and ran into the hospital shouting for her mentor, Tsunade to get her ass over there.

She was hypothermic, she was half dead, she was broken in so many place he hadn't ever thought of the human body as fragile; but seeing her femur sticking out of her thigh, a broken clavicle, and her left arm looking like jell-o, he had realized how fragile they were. The first thing he did was call Kakashi once she was taken in to be taken care of, the second thing he had done was call the cops because if he found who did this before they did he was killing them, and then he had called Itachi.

It was in those hours that he was sitting with Sakura's uncle and Itachi that he learnt about Itachi's cancer, and he had wanted to strangle Itachi for not telling him. Itachi had hastily said he was in remission but Sasuke was torn between staying close to the hospital and dragging his brother out of the hospital by the throat and strangling him for keeping that a secret.

But for the last year between attending Sakura's PT and learning everything he could about Itachi's cancer and talking to Tsunade and Sakura he felt… stronger about that matter. It had taken a long fucking year, and a lot of heartbreaks to get him here, and he looked at the innocent pinkette sleeping against him, and her uncle sound asleep on the other corner of the couch.

He had paid for Sakura's medical bills before Kakashi could fight him on the matter, he hadn't even thought twice about shelling out all that money, Kakashi currently was trying to pay him back. Sasuke was just putting the money back in Kakashi's account though. Sakura was one of his people, and he would do whatever was needed for his people.

He kissed the top of Sakura's head which rested on his shoulder, she grumbled, shifted, winced, moved back to where she was and he frowned. Picking up the remote he turned off the move as he slowly maneuvered her onto his lap and stood, she was still frighteningly small in his arms, it terrified him just as the day he had found her, and he carried her up to her bed. Putting her in her bed he kissed the diamond, she grumbled as she rolled away from him and he walked down the stairs to leave.

"Where's Sakura?" Kakashi demanded as he came to the arch of the living room.

"Sound asleep, I put her in her bed," Sasuke answered the groggy man. "Why?"

"Fuck, Mebuki took her just like the day she disappeared, I didn't notice, got a call just like yours, Mebuki drove head first into an eighteen-wheeler," Kakashi murmured as he rubbed his face. "Still have nightmares about her missing."

"Who's Mebuki?" Sasuke asked as he pulled on a jacket.

"My psychotic half-sister and Sakura's mother, she tried to kill them both when Sakura was a kid, Sakura was in surgery for eight hours," Kakashi said as he rubbed his eyes.

"Hn," Sasuke nodded and looked up the stairs then back to Kakashi.

"Thank you," Kakashi yawned as he stood up. "I can't bear to part with that kid just yet, only good fucking thing in my life, so thank you, thank you for coming in and making her smile, and for finding her."

"She's a force of nature, I think even my bastard grandfather likes her," Sasuke said as he shook hands with Kakashi. He found he genuinely liked Kakashi, and looked up to him in a way he hadn't been able to since the death of his father.

"She's very loveable, but not many see it, thank you again," Kakashi said and Sasuke stopped at the door.

"If I were to want more from her, do I need to ask your permission or forewarn you?" he asked Kakashi.

"Both, but you'd have my blessing, break her heart even once though and I'll give you hell, she might not be mine but know that that's my little girl in every other way except me fathering her, and she's been hurt enough," Kakashi warned him.

"Good to know," Sasuke nodded and he left the Hatake residence then.

Sasuke drove to his place, got out of the car and walked into his elevator. He hadn't figured out just what to do about that tsunami who had come crashing into his life, but now that he had her and he had nearly lost her he had realized several things simultaneously and plans were formulating in his mind. Riding the elevator up to his apartment he walked in, he wasn't too shocked to see Itachi there.

Since his brother had revealed that he had bone cancer they had gotten closer, and Izumi talked with Sasuke about her fears. And he could talk with Izumi, having Sakura around was like having a walking medical encyclopedia and they had both called her more than once with questions about this cancer.

"Sakura's again?" he asked.

"Aa," he nodded.

"Izumi and I are having a baby," Itachi said. "She's pregnant."

"I thought chemo made you impotent," Sasuke said as he poured a drink.

"It does, but when we found out and Izumi said she wanted children in the future…" Itachi trailed off then and shrugged.

"Ah," Sasuke nodded as he walked over to the window and took a sip of his drink.

"If I die," Itachi started.

"Shut up, you're not dying, you'll beat the cancer and live to a thousand," Sasuke snapped.

Itachi snorted.

"Be serious Sasuke, if I die I need you to help Izumi look after the child," Itachi said calmly.

"Done, but you're not dying," Sasuke said as he walked over to his favorite chair and flopped down into it then.

"How's Sakura doing?" Itachi asked as he took the other seat.

"Still pained, Karin's fucking lucky she's in prison with her brother and his idiot friends," Sasuke snarled.

"Think she did that because of Sakura's tie to you?" Itachi asked.

"Doubt it," he grumbled. "How's Izumi?"

"Morning sickness, she's six weeks and it's just starting, early to tell you but… no more secrets," Itachi said calmly.

"I think I'm going to marry Hatake Sakura," he said then. Itachi blinked, he shrugged. "No more secrets."

"I thought you weren't dating her," Itachi pointed out.

"Not," he replied.

"Where did this come from?"

"First meeting, the attack confirmed it, now it's about timing it when she's not dead on her feet," Sasuke pointed out.

"You've thought about this a lot I see," Itachi said calmly.

"Aa," he nodded.

"Does she know?" Itachi inquired.

"No, asked Kakashi permission to date her tonight though," Sasuke warned his brother.

"You actually asked for permission," Itachi blinked.

"He has a baret, with anti-aircraft rounds, I am not crossing him," Sasuke warned seriously.

"Good, I like her," Itachi said.

"I think you all like her, including grandfather, he's been picking her up from the hospital on nights I can't, Kakashi can't or you can't, and Ino can't," Sasuke said coldly.

"It's a good sign," Itachi decided.

Sasuke shrugged.

"Do you want a son or a daughter?" Sasuke asked.

"Healthy, I don't want the baby to have… this," Itachi coughed then and Sasuke stiffened. "I'm fine, just the cold getting to me, March going to April always has my lungs acting up," Itachi dismissed.

"Uh-huh, go to the doctor or I'll call Izumi," Sasuke warned.

"I have an appointment next week," Itachi said calmly.

"Don't make me call Tsunade," Sasuke snarled; Tsunade had come to really like him when she found out he orchestrated Sakura's pick up and drop off schedule so she was never again riding that bus.

"Fine, tomorrow, I'll take Izumi," Itachi surrendered.

"Smart choice Itachi," he warned coldly and leant back in his seat as he sipped the alcohol and savored the burn of it.

"Hatake Sakura," Itachi chuckled. "I knew when I met her, you were just stupid."

"No, she's way too good for me and way out of my league, and I knew it when she walked in that restaurant the first night two and a half years ago," Sasuke warned his brother.

"So perhaps you're not completely stupid. Just do not fuck this up," Itachi warned.

"Why do you think I'm planning?" Sasuke asked icily and his brother chuckled before leaving him. Sasuke stared out at the city.

Yes, Haruno Sakura or Hatake Sakura; whichever name she used, she was it. Now he just needed to get her to agree to date him. He had long since noticed she had an unhealthy distrust of anyone human beside Kakashi. Perhaps it had a lot to do with what he had discovered tonight, a scary thought driving head first into an eighteen wheeler.

Finishing his drink, he set it aside and walked to his room, for a change he chose to try to sleep in the bed. It wasn't easy, but he managed to relax enough to slip into a restful sleep.

The next few months were hectic for him, no one besides Itachi and Kakashi knew about his intentions for Sakura, but now was not the right time. See, unlike the dobe he did believe in timing and in places, so he continued to savor Sakura's company when he could have it and when she wasn't so tired she looked dead. It was easy to enjoy her company when he had it.

Itachi's remission was still going strong as the summer passed and Sasuke found himself somehow very involved with Izumi's pregnancy which was strange. Around month six he and Itachi were sitting in a birth class with Izumi, Izumi was in love with the idea of a natural birth, Itachi looked horrified, and Sasuke was thinking he needed to reprioritize his people and his degree of loyalty to them because he was sitting in on horror movies for this stuff. He was seriously planning to be out of town when the kid was due because this… this is how people died with the clown leaping out at them with the chain saw.

Nope.

His plot to escape the birthing was foiled though when Shikamaru and Temari finally settled ona date for their wedding and it was a week before Izumi's due date; he was not escaping. Especially when he was the declared best man for the wedding and in charge of the rings. Yup, he was fucked, and Sakura had dared to laugh at this predicament, he had smirked when Temari had showed up at her place and dragged her off on her only day off for bridesmaid dress shopping with Ino. Sakura looked horrified and he had waved her off. She cursed him.

When Izumi was about seven months pregnant Sakura called him saying Itachi was in the hospital and he was sick with bronchitis and pneumonia. Sasuke had collected Izumi and drove her straight to the hospital, after promising her that if Itachi died he'd personally track Itachi's soul down and kick his ass again for this shit. That had cheered her up a bit.

Two weeks after extensive medication and care Itachi was placed on bedrest and sent home, Sasuke hired a nurse to help Izumi and to make certain his stupid brother didn't try to escape the bed early. It drove Itachi mad but Sasuke was firm on this, his brother clearly hadn't taken his health seriously in the past and Sasuke wasn't about to let his brother die now. It wasn't happening.

Shikamaru's wedding was a quiet affair, but then the Nara's were not public people. Itachi was there, on oxygen at his insistence and Sakura's demand he have it. Sasuke hadn't been able to look away from the pinkette who was beautifully dressed in purple silk with Ino and Hinata.

He smirked.

Sakura didn't know it, but he already claimed her and now it was just time to get her to come around and see it his way because there was not going to be someone else for them. He knew this even as he pulled her close for a dance when everyone was to dance with the bride and groom.

The pinkette, the wild disaster that she was, was his and he felt content with her in his arms. He stole another kiss from her when they were alone in the Nara's family gardens and it still had that fresh flavor, the electric thrill and that edge which had him wanting more. Still, he pulled away from her and didn't dare to take more.

A week after the wedding Itachi called him in a panic, Izumi's water had broken and they were heading for the hospital. Again Sasuke ran every red light, he would have gotten a ticket except he told the cop his only niece and nephew was being born right now and he needed to be at the hospital so his idiot brother didn't have a heart attack (and with Itachi's precarious health it was possible). Surprisingly he had a police escort to the hospital; he didn't even drop his name.

Madara, Obito, and Shisui were all there with him as they all anxiously awaited the newest Uchiha to be born. Sakura checked in on them when she had time, but she was a very busy resident learning to be a trauma surgeon.

Sasuke's head snapped up when Itachi came out of the hall then. Sasuke stood as he looked at his brother then.

"We named him Uchiha Izuna, for your brother, Madara," Itachi said. Everyone smiled, and Sasuke was quick to follow his brother into the room where he saw Izumi holding a black haired baby in her arms, and she had a tired smile on her lips.

"Want to see him Sasuke?" she asked.

"Aa," he nodded as he hesitantly came over to peek at the baby, it was tiny. And it had the Uchiha onyx eyes, with ebony hair.

"Thank Kami, I thought he'd look like Itachi and be fucked for life," Sasuke said seriously.

"Sasuke," Itachi grounded out and Izumi laughed.

Sasuke caught sight of pink as green eyes peeked in on them, he softened a little, she smiled and disappeared again. He made a mental note to introduce her to his nephew, she was going to be family after all so she had better get accustomed to the Uchiha clan.

* * *

 **That's all for now folks!**

 **Enjoy A Force of Nature! =)**


	6. A Flash Flood

**I Do Not Own Naruto**

 **Uchiha**

Hatake Kakashi was not a man people crossed, he was not a man who expressed a lot of love to a lot of people and he was not the most emotional of people. Never had been. He had served his country, been honorably discharged when he finished his contracted years, and he had come home. Now he would have never really cared what it was Mebuki did, it was hard to care about his half-sister when she had bipolar disorder, manic depression and had the occasional psychotic breaks, and she would scream she hated him.

It had been this way since he had been a child, it was part of the reason he found it difficult to care for her. But one day his entire world shifted.

Mebuki showed up on his door step, behind her was a small pinkette with quiet green eyes in a baggy hoody standing in the snow in front of his house.

Now, he had found that while he had trouble loving Mebuki, her daughter was easy to love. His niece was saving grace, and because he was not going to let his widowed half-sister live out of her car with her daughter he had let them stay with him.

Haruno Sakura was a quiet, sweet child, and the day he had come home from the bar he worked at to see her crying with a welting bruise on her cheek was the very day he kicked Mebuki out, picked the kid up, took her to the hospital, filed a restraining order and petitioned to have custody of his niece before Mebuki could do more damage to Sakura than what was already done.

He had been granted full custody of his niece when the x-rays revealed the abuse.

A year later his world had shattered when Mebuki kidnapped Sakura, he had received a call from his sister saying that Sakura was her daughter and she was staying with her for forever, Kakashi had frantically started hunting for his niece when he received a call from the police. Mebuki had driven head first into an eighteen wheeler she was killed on impact, Sakura one the other had was being helo-vacced to the nearest hospital, Kakashi had driven like a mad man.

That had been the longest eighteen hours of his life from the moment Sakura had been taken to the moment his little girl woke up. She had said it was an accident, he knew the girl was lying but he wasn't going to let her change her story. After he got her home he made it a point to text her every hour.

He had endured every phase Sakura had gone through, with the promise that she was free to do as she pleased, but she had to keep in touch with him, every hour, he didn't care what she was doing, he wanted hourly texts from her.

This had lasted until she started driving and studying for med school, then he demanded the texts every six hours. She just smiled and said sure. He had worried endlessly about her, but they were good. They were solid, and though he knew Sakura lied about her social life to make him feel better he worried about her. She was an easy target for the bullies because she was passive and just took it, that was because of her mother no doubt, and he worried ceaselessly about her and that one day he'd get a call saying she was dead because of the bullies. But the call never came.

When she was twenty he worried about her not having friends or dates, and a few years later came Ino. truthfully he had been vastly relieved when a childhood friend of hers' had come into her life, though he didn't know Yamanaka Ino.

With Ino came her strange husband, Sai, who was an artist. Kakashi had tolerated it all because they made Sakura… happier. He'd do anything to make certain his girl was happy. The night of her date he had seen her leave, he had tried not to worry about her being taken advantage of. Most girls were not virgins at twenty-two and he knew for a fact Sakura was. So he tried not to worry about the world devouring the girl and spitting her out for kicks. Yes, he tried not to worry.

By the third hour he was worried, he was terrified, she hadn't texted him or anything; it was worrisome at that point for him. but just as he was about to call her he saw a black Audi pull up to his house and a few moments later his niece got out of the car. Kakashi had never been so relieved, and she looked… happy, he had pulled her in for a hug and listen to her fill him in on her date.

The boy's name was Sasuke.

It was when he actually met the young man that he recognized him as an Uchiha and saw the happy smile on his niece's lips and ignored the fact the man here was an Uchiha. It wasn't easy to ignore but he remembered the baffled look of Sakura when she said Sasuke was an Uchiha. He had fought the laugh and just told her it was alright that she hadn't known.

Over the next months, Kakashi had gotten accustomed to his niece hanging out with an Uchiha. Sasuke wasn't all that bad, when Kakashi actually stopped, and thought about it. She could do worse than a man who treated her like a queen. And that was exactly what Uchiha Sasuke treated his niece like. He treated her like she was a queen, and didn't seem to demand anything of her. Kakashi liked the young man for that, and even on a personal level found himself liking the young man.

The day of his worst nightmare repeating happened when he came home from the bar, dropped his coat and called for Sakura because she had a seven a.m. class and wanted to be up. She wasn't there, she wasn't any where in the house and the dogs had needed to really go out. His first call was to Sakura, no answer.

He reminded himself to breathe, she wasn't dead or taken, she was probably asleep at the library; again, this happened on occasion. Still, as he yanked on his jacket he called the Uchiha and demanded to know if Sakura was with him. Sasuke said she was coming home last night to sleep, Kakashi said she wasn't there and Sasuke said he'd check the hospital.

When he had gotten that call from Sasuke that he hadn't found her and then twenty minutes later a call saying that Sakura had been attacked, Kakashi could only feel the terror coursing through him as he drove as fast as he gunned it towards the hospital and sat with Sasuke in the hospital replaying a horrible nightmare from years ago.

Seeing her so small in the hospital and wrapped up, bruised, battered, broken, he would have broken if Sasuke hadn't pulled him up a chair for him to collapse in.

It was when Sakura was in that coma that he had figured out that the Uchiha was her only, he could see it as he stared at the young man who lost sleep while Sakura lay there.

Strange, he hadn't noticed it with all the time Sasuke spent in his home, but it was probably because he wasn't thinking her to be in trouble, danger, or scared that he had missed it. The young man across from him had flooded his niece's life and Kakashi was alright with that. Sasuke could be trusted with Sakura, and that was the first person Kakashi knew he could entrust Sakura too.

The course of the next year proved that to Kakashi, he found the Uchiha clan had become an intricate part of his and Sakura's lives, and somehow he was alright with that. Madara was a grouchy old bastard, Obito was… interesting, goofy, and strangely serious, Shisui was a good man, a bit mysterious but Kakashi liked him and knew he could trust the man, Itachi was the most trustworthy of the clan; besides Sasuke; and was a calm man with poor health, but despite that was a powerful force to recon with, and then there was Izumi who was sweet, and genuinely caring. Kakashi had a lot of respect for the Uchiha family. He could respect and like them all.

However, he found that the one he liked the most had something invested in his niece.

Oh, and Kakashi came to really like Izuna when he saw Itachi's son. The baby boy was adorable, and Kakashi had volunteered for babysitting on his nights off because he had one: never seen a baby and found the boy adorable; and two: remembered how tiring a kid could be to parents. And he had never technically been a parent. All the same though Itachi gave him Izuna often enough for the baby to be comfortable with all the dogs, and Sakura.

The next few years were manic, that's what Kakashi remembered. A lot of drama for his twenty-four year old niece, and the Uchiha clan.

Her twenty-fifth birthday happened, same with her twenty-sixth and that was when all hell broke loose.

She and Sasuke had loosely been dating/friends for about four years at this point, and honestly he was just waiting for the wedding for this thing to be tied up and done. It had been inevitable from the beginning.

But it appeared trouble would strike again as he stood there now looking at a man who was his friend who was lying in a coffin, his pregnant widow sat there with their toddler crying with her brother-in-law standing beside her.

Slowly Kakashi walked over to Izumi and Sasuke with Sakura beside him.

"I'm so sorry for your loss," Sakura whispered as she darted over to Izumi and hugged her. Sasuke stood there quietly and Sasuke stood with him as they both stared at the small gathering of black dresses and suits.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Kakashi said softly.

"It struck hard and fast when it came back, and it went straight for his lungs," Sasuke murmured softly.

"I thought he beat it," Kakashi whispered.

"We all did, but it was in remission," he snarled softly. "Fucking cancer."

"What are you going to do now?" Kakashi asked him.

"I… I've been named the manager of his estates, I'm taking over Indra Inc. until Izuna is either old enough to take over or his second child is," Sasuke murmured.

"How are you holding up?" Kakashi asked.

"Hn," Sasuke shrugged and they both looked over to Izumi who was hugging Sakura and Izuna sobbing, Ino had walked over to them and Kakashi felt a pang of anger at Itachi's sudden death.

"We'll… we'll be alright, I think," Sasuke hesitantly said.

"Call us if you need anything," Kakashi said softly.

"Thank you," Sasuke murmured. "He was… he was at peace at the end, died with a smile on his face."

"He shouldn't have died or been ill," Kakashi said seriously.

"He helped me pick the ring out," Sasuke said softly.

"What?"

"Yeah, I was going to propose this week, but…" Sasuke trailed off and they both looked at the coffin. "Got her the ring last week, Itachi went with me," Sasuke murmured.

"Are you still going to…" Kakashi started.

The young man nodded then.

"Just not now, I can't," Sasuke said.

"Understandable, you have my blessing when you do, but be wary, she's stubborn," Kakashi warned.

"Itachi said the exact same thing when we got the damn ring," Sasuke smirked sadly and they both stared at the coffin.

"Fuck I'm going to miss him," Kakashi sighed.

"Aa," Sasuke nodded in agreement.

"He was a truly good man, did the best for everyone around him, and was a damn good father from what I saw, he didn't deserve to die young," Kakashi murmured.

"Aa," Sasuke nodded.

"Hey Sasuke," Sakura came over and he watched as his niece was engulfed in a tight embrace and he walked over to Obito.

The funeral was hard on all the Uchiha members, it was hard on him, and it was hard on Sakura. But as he looked over the grave faces here he knew they would all recover, the world would be a bit less but they would all recover from the loss of Uchiha Itachi.

The thirty-four year old head of the Uchiha family had a flood of tears for him as he was buried in a peaceful spot on the Uchiha family burial grounds. Kakashi's eyes narrowed in on where he saw Uchiha Sasuke holding the hand of his niece and he looked at the young man and nodded. They weren't going to break yet; they were going to be fine. Just not right now.

After the funeral was over he kissed his niece's temple said he'd see her after his shift and she should stay with the Uchiha clan tonight. They would probably like her company tonight. Sasuke promised to look after her and they left the funeral together.

Kakashi looked up to the graying skies then.

"Watch over my girl Itachi, and don't let Sasuke fuck it up. I'll look after Izumi and Izuna for you for now," he promised. After all, to Izuna he was Uncle Kakashi, and he would let the young die young because of heart break. Getting in his car he drove to work and got ready for another day. It wasn't a good day, and he knew that before his shift started.

The papers read that Uchiha Itachi was dead, but what enraged Kakashi was the pictures of the family at the gravesite, but worse was the heading of Sasuke's mysterious pinkette.

The world was flooded with the images of his niece, and the Uchiha clan around her.

No, Kakashi did not have a good feeling about this now even as he ignored it and got to work at the bar he now owned; all that money Sasuke had been slipping back into had gone to him buying this dive. There was a flash flood coming and it was going to knock a lot of things loose and free when it struck, but Kakashi was going to be prepared for whatever was coming.

* * *

 **That's all for now folks!**

 **Enjoy A Force of Nature! =)**


	7. A Hail Storm

**I Do Not Own Naruto**

 **Uchiha**

Losing Itachi was a devastating blow to the Uchiha family, but more than that, she saw how it was destroying Sasuke. She could see it eating him from the inside out, she could see it was crushing him, it was like hail pounding on him and it was killing her to see him like this.

Which brought her to her only fight with Sasuke, it was about his drinking, she had gotten a call from him saying he was in the DUI tank and she had driven to the police station fuming. She threw the pen down and scowled at him when he walked out of the drunk tank.

"I can't believe you!" she shouted at him as they walked out of the station.

"Sakura," he started.

"Don't Sakura me, just don't Sasuke, get in the damn car and I'm driving you to your place, Itachi would be disappointed if he saw you right now," Sakura snapped when she opened the door of the car for him.

"You don't get to use Itachi on me!" he roared at her.

"Sasuke, get in the fucking car!" she roared.

"No," he roared as he kicked it shut and pinned her as he glared at her. Sakura stiffened a bit as she glared back, this was Sasuke. No matter what had happened, no matter what she did, no matter how he felt he wouldn't hurt her, and she reminded herself of this as she stared at him.

"Fuck," Sasuke snarled as he pulled away from her, she let out an unsteady car.

"Just get in the damn car Sasuke," she snapped and he did. the drive was in strenuous silence. She didn't let him know he had scared her. She didn't let him know that she didn't like that, and she didn't tell him that Shisui and Izumi were worried about him after the month of silence everyone had been receiving from him. No, Sakura kept her mouth shut so she didn't break down crying from the scare he had given her, no, it wasn't happening and she peaked over at Sasuke then, he just stared out the window. Her breath hitched again as she swallowed her feelings.

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

"Huh?"

"I'm sorry for scaring you," he whispered and she looked at him as she stopped at a red light.

"You didn't scare me," she lied.

"I was eight when our parents were murdered in our home, Itachi was out with Izumi that night," Sasuke murmured sleepily. "I saw it from the kitchen cupboard where my mother had hidden me."

"I… I didn't know," she whispered.

"Kakashi said your mother tried to kill you when you were a child," Sasuke said softly.

"My mother… was manic," she whispered.

"But I scared you because you've been scared before," he muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"It's fine Sasuke, you're just… you're hurt, we're all hurt, but acting like an ass isn't what Itachi would want you to do and he would be disappointed in you for being drunk, driving, and… scaring the people who love you," she whispered as she bit her lip and saw him stiffen as he looked at her.

Yeah, she had just blurted out her dark secret to get it in perspective to him, he was the one she loved more than anyone on this planet.

"People who love me?" he asked coldly.

"Yeah, me, Shikamaru, Temari, Naruto, Hinata, Sai, Ino, Madara, Obito, Shisui, Izumi, Izuna, and Kakashi, we all love you Sasuke, you're not alone," she said softly and he stared at her.

"You love me?" he murmured.

"Yeah, I don't expect you to do anything about it," she promptly assured him. "It's just… I love you, I worry about you, I can't help it. I've loved you for a while now, it just is," she said and felt her face heating as she continued driving towards his place.

"Why wouldn't I do anything about it?" he murmured softly when she pulled into his apartment's garage.

"Well, I'm Hatake Sakura, and you're… you're Uchiha Sasuke," she shrugged. How could she explain to a man who could have whatever he wanted in this world that while she wanted him he wasn't even in her solar system because he was a galaxy away.

"Perhaps I want to do something about it," he said softly as he pulled her chin to him, she smiled a bit and chuckled.

"You're drunk Sasuke, and aside from a few kisses you've done nothing else, you're not interested in me," she assured him.

"Mmn, did you ever think that now was never the right time for us?" he whispered as he came closer to her.

"No," she whispered as she noticed his lips were a breath away from hers'.

"Did you also ever think that you deserved better?" he asked her and she felt his thumb on her lip.

"I don't know what you mean," she admitted in confusion and then his lips were on hers', she could taste the alcohol and the dark thrill, that edge that was just Sasuke and it had her melting. His fingers were in her hair and she felt him pull her closer to him, she let him as she slid out of the driver's seat and into his lap. She wanted something, she wanted him, she wanted to know what that thing all the girls talked about at the hospital and called her a prude for having never tried in her life.

"Sasuke," she whispered when he pulled away and his lips traveled over her jaw and settled on her pulse, her eyes fluttered half shut. "Stop, you're drunk, you don't want me."

"Not drunk," he said as his teeth slid over her skin. "Always have wanted you, you make the loneliness go away," he she whispered as his breath had her shivering and she hugged him tight.

"You don't mean it," she murmured.

"Sakura, I haven't had sex in nearly four and a half years because of you, you fucking drive me nuts," he assured her and she gasped as his mouth was on hers' again. He could take her if he wanted, so long as he kept telling her the prettiest lies. They stumbled out of the car, she propped herself in the elevator as she stared at him.

"I am not doing the _Fifty Shades of Grey_ thing with you no matter how sexy you are," she warned him and his head fell back as he laughed, then he pulled her close to him.

"It's painfully cliché anyways," he assured her as he tapped her diamond. "And you deserve better than a kinky, horny fuck," he whispered and she blushed as she rode the elevator up to his apartment.

They were in the apartment when he scooped her up, she yelped, she hadn't thought he was serious about having her until she landed on his huge bed, his mouth on hers' and his hands under her sweatshirt. Sakura gasped as she surrendered for her first time to the only man who she loved and wanted to love.

Sasuke made it a night she could never forget, he marked her body as his, he left nothing untouched, he even patiently lay back when she had traced his body in curiosity rather than medical knowledge. He had kissed her like he needed air, she had loved it, and she had felt… loved, needed, wanted, and craved for. She rather liked it, he was still the first time he took her, she screamed in pain and he waited. When the pleasure had come again she had nearly died as she stumbled off a cliff into bliss, whispering his name as he murmured hers' against her skin. She fell asleep in his arms and was content for a moment.

The moment her phone rang and Tsunade's angry voice filled it Sakura had scrambled out of the bed she had slept in with Sasuke, ignored the pain between her legs, pulled on her discarded clothes. Scribbled a note for him telling him how to handle his hangover and she ran. Getting to her car she made it to the hospital in thirty, changed into scrubs, ignoring the glares of the other residents she ran out of the area as she skidded to a halt before Tsunade.

After the hour long ass chewing had received from Tsunade she had nearly fainted with Tsunade asked if the guy was at least good in bed and pointed out the hickey Sakura hadn't notice. She wore her hair down the rest of the day and wanted to go perish in mortification after kicking Sasuke's ass for leaving a visible mark where she couldn't cover it with clothes.

She didn't care about the rumors flying around behind her back, she just ignored them as she focused on her own work and her own studies, she drove home, ran to the local drug store, bought the morning after pill, and concealer that matched her complexion and continued her studies as she readied herself for everything that was coming her way.

Sasuke appeared at her house that night when she had been about to go to bed, after Kakashi had left for his shift and she stared at him.

No words were exchanged, he kissed her and they stumbled into her room and fell on her bed. Sasuke pulled her close afterwards and she smiled feeling safe and cherished, even if this was nothing but a moment of grief for him. she could enjoy it.

The following months were this odd arrangement of being friends, sleeping together and going on dinners and movies together. there was nothing different about what they had been doing as she felt her twenty-sixth year continue.

Izumi had another baby, screamed and cursed as she struggled to bring the baby into the world. Sakura delivered the baby in the store when she had been shopping with Izumi and Izuna for a few baby essentials. The labor had progressed rather quickly and Sakura was playing catcher as she handed the phone to Izuna to call for an ambulance; the boy had, but by the time the ambulance had gotten there Izumi had had a daughter, Naori.

They were rushed to the hospital, Sakura drove Izuna there and called Sasuke to meet them there. Izuna asked why he couldn't ride with his mommy and sister and Sakura said because the paramedics were busy taking care of his mother and sister. They arrived at the hospital and Tsunade was there to greet them, Sakura held Izuna until Sasuke arrived and took his nephew demanding to know how everything had gone.

Kakashi was there with Obito, Shisui, and Madara. Sakura told them to go meet Uchiha Naori; the name Itachi had picked if he had a daughter.

Sakura saw less of Sasuke as he got busy helping Izumi out with her children, and that was alright with Sakura because it gave her time to assess the new relationship she had with Sasuke and it was confusing her.

Sex was an unknown variable for her and she was terrified of something going wrong, or worse; it being a mistake. She didn't want to be a mistake for Sasuke, he wasn't a mistake her for her and she feared being a mistake for him. She also didn't want him to look back on her in his life and think he had to be with her because he was her first and likely only. She didn't want that.

Which was why she was cautious about approaching this and she waited for him to come to her and define what they were.

She never spoke to Kakashi about the shift between her and Sasuke, and she didn't tell anyone; not even Tsunade who she had slept with. When asked who she had slept with, she would always say no one they knew and walk away from him. Sasuke would have to tell her what they were because she didn't know, she didn't know what this thing was because it wasn't like she had ever had a relationship before.

The months slipped by, she worked hard and focused on being the best surgeon she could be and not thinking about what she and Sasuke were. She didn't want to think about it. Well, she did but she didn't want to be hurt by it, she did not want to be hurt by this, and she didn't want him to be the one to hurt her when she had given herself to him.

It was her twenty-seventh birthday, she squirmed uncomfortably into a red dress to go out with Ino, Temari, and Hinata to celebrate when all she wanted to do was sleep and relax. she pulled up the black tights, she pulled on black sandal heels and was pulling on Kakashi's leather jacket when there was a knock on her door. Finishing her minimal make up quickly she walked to the front door and opened it to find herself staring at him.

"You look…" he whispered.

"Like a dork," she finished with a smile. She hadn't really seen him since Naori's birth and she was happy to see him standing there.

"Annoying," he tapped her brow and she chuckled.

"What's up Sasuke?"

"It's your birthday," he pointed out.

"An astute observation, I think it was on this day last year as well," she chuckled.

"I came to take you out," he said softly.

"I was…"

"Ino's cancelling, I warned her ahead of time, they'll get you next time," he said and she just frowned a bit.

"Alright, where are we going?" she asked as she stepped out of the house, he offered her an elbow and she walked down the stairs of her house after locking the door.

"To the beginning," he murmured and kissed her temple as he got the car door for her. she shrugged and got in. she wasn't entirely certain what he meant by that and enjoyed sitting with him as she talked to him in person, he handed her his phone and she flipped through the adorable pictures of the Uchiha Naori that her relatives were taking, even Madara did not look as fierce with his great-granddaughter in his arms. She chuckled as he filled her in.

They walked into that fancy restraint she hadn't seen in nearly five years and she stopped.

"Sasuke?"

"Come on," he ordered as he pulled her along by the hand. She hurried after him as they were led to the tables and she sat down.

"What is this?" she whispered.

"This is where I first met you," he said calmly and she just blinked at him and chuckled.

"Yeah, I didn't think of that, I must have looked like a tramp or something," she chuckled.

"No, just… unorthodox," he replied and she laughed as her head fell back.

"It's alright Sasuke, I wasn't dressed to impress, still not," she mused.

"You're fine," he assured her as they looked the menus over.

* * *

 **That's all for now folks!**

 **Enjoy A Force of Nature! =)**


	8. A Tornado

**I Do Not Own Naruto**

 **Uchiha**

Sasuke hadn't known how to address the informal shift between himself and Sakura, he had wanted to regret it because they weren't dating but he couldn't.

Hatake Sakura was a tornado which had ripped apart his life and reassembled it how it should have been. He didn't fight her either, he didn't know if he could have fought her, there seemed to be no fighting her, but he did know that she was now a vital part of his life, his existence, and everything he believed in. corny as that was she was someone he needed.

Oh, no doubt they could live apart; had been for years, but… he wouldn't survive if anything happened to her. She was his something. Itachi had described Izumi as his something, well, Sakura was Sasuke's something and he didn't always know how to feel about that.

The first night he had slept with her he hadn't intended to, and part of him had wanted to regret not giving her more of a chance to find someone better than him. But the moment he had claimed her, the moment he had broken her barrier and taken her, there was no going back. He hadn't been able to stop, he hadn't been able to let her go, and he hadn't been able to turn back from her.

The next morning he had woken up alone, her note on her pillow and when he had sat back and let the sheets fall away he had seen her virginity staining his grey sheets and had wanted her some more. He saw her after her shift and it confirmed what he knew then, he was forever addicted to Hatake Sakura, and the scary thing was he didn't mind. He did not mind one bit.

Still, there was life to go with, work to be done, and family to take care of. Kami knew it was his duty now as the head of the family. He attended every OB-GYN with Shisui and Izumi, he babysat Izuna when Izumi was overwhelmed. He took care of Madara, with his uncle's help, and he tried to keep up with taking care of Sakura so there was no repeat of had happened with Karin and those idiots who had nearly stolen the best thing in his life. Sasuke was terrified of something happening to Sakura again, it would keep him up some nights, and the nights he was with her he would watch her sleep, hearing her breathing, sensing her heat, and feeling her heart beneath his fingers.

Sakura hadn't found the ring he had bought with Itachi, the ring which he kept safely tucked away in his shirt drawer.

It was something he worried about, and had found himself carrying it everywhere, it was a weight in his pocket, it was a curse that followed him, and it was confusing because he no longer knew what he and Sakura were. The loosest of terms to describe them was friends with benefits, but he did take her on dates, he knew he was the only man in her life, and she was the only woman in his. This thing between them was serious but it wasn't, and it was difficult to label but easy to move with.

He loved her, that he also knew.

And while loving Sakura was as easy as breathing, as simple as intaking the air, it was vital, it was alive, and it was also powerful. When she had said she loved him he had just reacted, and that might have complicated things a little more. But now that he had her screaming his name when he was in her he had to keep her.

Which brought him to tonight as Naori was with her mother and brother, and Shisui was with Izumi and it was Sakura's twenty-seventh birthday.

He had talked to Ino, who had been happy to step aside for him to take her on a 'date' but a date was the furthest thing in from his mind as he looked at the woman in a red dress, black tights, black sandal heels, and Kakashi's black leather jacket, she looked like a sin again. Her red lips curled back as she laughed and walked with him to their seat, he smirked and looked at those smoky eyes. Good Kami he was so gone where she was concerned it wasn't funny as he seated her and took his seat.

"So, what shall we have tonight?" she grinned as she looked through the menu then.

"Whatever you want," he assured her; five years; or near five years, of knowing this woman and she still ate like a shark or teenage boy.

"Ooh! Imported Scottish salmon, I wonder what the difference is between that and Pacific salmon," she chuckled, he smirked at her innocent curiosity as she read over the menu.

"Sakura," he started.

"Thanks Sasuke, for everything," she interrupted him and his eyes narrowed on her and she smiled. "Before Ino set me up on that date I was alone, thanks for being there for me all these years and for not leaving me to freeze to death in the ally. So, thanks for helping me get to twenty-seven," she said sweetly.

He was baffled again as he stared into her green eyes and softened a bit.

"Sakura, this thing between us," he said carefully. "I want more," he said bluntly.

She blinked as she sipped her water.

"More?" she tilted her head. "Uh… Sasuke, truthfully, I don't know what this thing between us is. I've tried to figure it out, but um… is this a break up or something?"

"Or something," he replied as they were served a small bit of food. Sakura trembled once they were alone again, and she hid it well, but he saw the way her hands tremble as she reached to serve herself.

"Alright… I..." she stammered.

"Sakura, I want more with you," he clarified and saw the startled look on her face as her green eyes widened. Was her confidence still so low that she believed herself worthy of being kicked to the curb? He was going to have to fix that since there was no other girl out there for him. Besides, he was rather fond of this natural disaster and he wasn't trading her for anyone.

"With me?" she stuttered as she blinked.

"Aa," he assured.

"Um Sasuke? What is it you want with me?" Sakura asked uncertainly.

"Everything," he assured her which had her blinking quietly as she absorbed that statement. "I have been trying to ask you out properly for years, now was never the right time. At first we were strangers, then we were barely friends, then there was Karin, the PT, my work, your work, Itachi, Izumi, Naori and Izuna. I've been wanting to ask you to be my girlfriend for years, and somehow everyone I know thought you were my girlfriend," he explained.

"Well, I mean… we're friends, we hang out a lot and I think we go on dates, I'm not sure about that though," she quickly turned red and he smirked. "Sasuke… the only thing I know for certain about you and me, is you make me… safe and happy; two things I don't really feel."

"Aa, you make me feel alive," he assured her and saw her shyly smile. "Now, if I had done this properly we'd have been dating for years already but you are the most unorthodox, challenging, confusing woman I have ever met so fuck dating.

"Just say yes," he said as he handed her the ring, Sakura's breath hitched and he saw her fighting tears and a smile as she looked between him and the ring. "I love you, and you love me, just say yes Sakura."

"Um… Sasuke… I'm not saying no, but if I say yes, I want to know you aren't going to… to leave me," she whispered hesitantly.

"I've been stuck since you walked in those doors," he assured her, she smiled then and looked at the ring.

"It's so pretty," she murmured and he pulled it out of the box and slipped it on a slim finger. It was a bit big but he'd have it resized for her.

"Itachi… a week before… he helped me pick it out," he told her softly and she stared at him with wide eyes then.

"Sasuke that was…" she started.

"I was going to ask you on a proper date before he died," he assured her. "Besides, I think you're the only woman I've ever brought home that he liked, and probably adored, he approved of you before I ever asked him to help me with the ring."

"I didn't… thank you," she murmured and smiled happily. "So you want to really marry a surgeon?"

"Do you want to marry a ruthless business man Uchiha?" he countered.

"I guess we'll work then," she giggled and she didn't stop looking at the ring. He was feeling rather smug about it as he watched her and her smile as she admired it. He'd have to warn Kakashi that he was stealing his niece away but Sasuke was certain that he could come with a compromise for the man, probably have to move near the hospital for her and near Kakashi's, but that wasn't such a large loss in his mind.

The ring was simple, not cheap, but Sakura was the simplest, most complicated woman he had ever met. She also had this habit of thinking with her stomach which was an admirable quality but a challenging one to maneuver around; especially if she and the dobe were together, then everyone was dragged off for food.

He had gotten her an emerald ring, it had two pink diamonds accenting it with two rubies, it was set in silver and it was simple. Itachi agreed that Sakura wasn't a gold girl so they had settled on silver and simple. It was surprisingly expensive, and it was one of a kind, unique to her according to the jeweler. Itachi had liked the ring but said it wasn't as good as Izumi's ring, Sasuke had pointed out that Sakura and Izumi were two very different creatures.

The jeweler had loved making the ring for her when he had seen her photo and natural colors, and heard what she did for a living. Sasuke had also been given a chain so she could slip it on her neck when she was working, he was pleased about that. But the necklace was to be given to her later.

"It's so pretty!" she said after dinner as he walked her to his car.

"Aa," he agreed, he was pleased with how it had turned out and he was glad to have picked it out. Itachi had liked it too. After looking at all those designs the jeweler and his wife had eagerly shoved at him Sasuke felt he had picked right, and it looked even better on her finger.

"Are you sure you want to marry me though?" she asked as she bit her red lip, he didn't reply verbally instead he kissed her, Sakura melted into him then, she tasted like her desert, the fudge Sunday, and she tasted innocent. It was intoxicating, this, this was something and he felt it was only getting stronger since that first kiss he had stolen from her in her bedroom.

"Sasuke," she breathed when he pulled away.

"Very sure, besides, you've carved a niche into the family already, and even Madara likes you. There is no other I want, and no other I'd go after," he promised and loaded her up into the car.

"I have to tell Kakashi!" she gasped, he stiffened at the notice she was giving him but he conceded that she needed to tell her uncle. "I don't have to tell him we've had sex, right?" she asked uncertainly.

"If you want me alive for the wedding I'd prefer it if you didn't tell him," he said seriously remembering the gun and anti-aircraft rounds Kakashi had threatened him with.

"Alright," she chuckled. "I just… I've never had anyone to tell Kakashi about so… this is still new."

"It's always new," he promised.

"For you too?" she asked.

"With you, aa," he nodded.

"So I don't bore you or weird you out still, even though we've been at this nearly five years?"

"Bore? You?" he asked her flatly. She gave him a bland stare and he left it alone.

Her bubbly excitement lasted all night when he took her home and pinned her to his mattress. It had been so long since their last bout of sex and he couldn't stay away from her as he got his hands on her. She surrendered so beautifully, bowing up into him when he was in her, whimpering in pleasure and screaming his name when he hit that spot. Good Kami he could watch her like this all night and never tire of it.

He woke the next morning to the sleeping pinkette in his arms, her finger was glittering with his ring and he smirked.

This, this was his something.

And he was never letting this tornado go, she could continue destroying his order in life for all he cared but he was never letting her go, this thing between them was something he needed to keep and he'd fight to keep it with him.

Sakura grumbled, curled into him as she hid under the covers. The ringing of her phone had her bolting up.

"Oh fuck! Not again!" she whispered, he smirked, especially when he saw the hickey on her pulse.

"Fuck! She's going to kill me!" Sakura shrieked as she leapt out of the bed. Sasuke rolled out of his bed, grabbed his pants, pulled them up as Sakura came running out of the bathroom in one of her dicarded sweat shirts here, and jeans she had forgotten once.

"Sakura," he called her, that pink head snapped to him so fast he worried about her snapping her neck as she stared at him with clear green eyes. "Here," he murmured as he pulled the chain out and let it fall into her hand.

"Huh? What's this for?" she asked as she blinked at him.

"The ring so you don't lose it while you work, I'll call the jeweler and have it sized correctly next week," he assured her as he kissed the diamond on her brow, she smiled and kissed him lightly.

"Thanks, I gotta go!" she scrambled then as she ran to his door, he waited a beat as he pulled on his shirt and shoes, then his sweatshirt. The door opened again.

"Could you drive me there?" she asked uncertainly.

"Aa," he replied as he picked up her phone, his phone, his keys, wallet and handed her the purse she had lsot last night with her ID in it.

"Thanks!" she smiled.

"Of course," he said as he walked to the elevator with her.

"I love the ring by the way," she said as she examined it in the elevator.

"Good," he said.

"This isn't going to be a thing where you give me a fortune in jewelry is it? I have to warn you I lost Ino's cheap, fake silver earrings," she said in mortification.

"No, you're not a jewelry girl," he pointed out as they walked to his car.

"Thank Kami! Oh, I need to call Ino and tell her about this…! Shit, I'll do it after shift," she huffed as she hopped in the car.

"Seatbelt," he warned her. she did so hastily and he took her to work. she kissed him hard before she darted out of the car and he chuckled as he watched her go. He answered his phone when he saw Izumi's number.

"I'll be over soon," he assured her.

"Thanks Sasuke, how's Sakura, yesterday was her birthday?" Izumi said quickly.

"I have news for all of you today, but she's happy," he said and her head poked back in the car as he held up her phone. She smiled, grabbed it and ran again. That was his fiancé, a tornado of energy.

* * *

 **Mkay, so I have I think another two parts of the Force of Nature; I'm trying to pry this from George's [my old computer for those of you who don't know] dying grasp (he's so going into the IT guy to be wiped and then I'm taking a sledge hammer to him) and posting it as I find it, so hopefully, I can find the ending. This is little arch is an old piece, and I thought it was worthy of being posted.**

 **That's all for now folks!**

 **Back to hunting off of George.**

 **Enjoy A Force of Nature! =)**


	9. A Downpour

**I Do Not Own Naruto**

 **Uchiha**

Sasuke was rather impressed with how quickly everything came together for an autumn wedding; it was only pushed that far back because of Sakura's work and he knew she'd need the time to set things up so he could steal her away for three weeks. Selfish move but when he had bluntly told Tsunade he was taking his fiancé for a three week honeymoon because he knew she hadn't had a vacation since she had started working for Tsunade there was minimal fighting.

Tsunade had helped him arrange this and then he had told Sakura she was coming with him for three weeks.

She had balked, but agreed with great reluctance on the matter when he told her he wasn't going to let her squirm her way out of this arrangement; besides it'd be their first official couple thing in their relationship. Not that he had pointed out the latter with her boss there.

Ino, Temari, and Hinata were all bridesmaids, and Hinata; despite being about eight months pregnant on the day of the wedding, had eagerly leapt into helping Sakura plan their wedding.

Which brought him to this fine October day, and he stood there in a hotel his family owned with his best friends, who were giving him a hard time for not dating the chick he was marrying; in his defense Sakura wasn't the 'dating' type. If there ever were such a thing and he was waiting for the ceremony to start.

"Uncle Sasuke!" Izuna shouted as he came running into the room, Sasuke hefted the toddler up and looked at that serious face which made him think of Itachi.

"Hn?"

"Aunt Sakura look real pretty," Izuna said solemnly.

"I bet," Naruto chuckled. "But she's not as pretty as Hinata right!?"

"No, she prettier!" Izuna said firmly and Sasuke chuckled as the dobe balked.

"Go find your mother or Shishui," he ordered softly.

"Yes Uncle, Oh, Grandpa want you," Izuna said and disappeared around the corner. Sasuke nodded to his friends before leaving the suite and walking to where he knew Madara was going to be. He found his grandfather sitting in his chair and straight as ever.

"Grandfather," he greeted coldly.

"Sit, my neck hurts," Madara snapped.

"Aa," he said and took the seat across from the eldest Uchiha.

"You love this girl?" Madara snapped.

"Aa."

"Then you fight for her, Sasuke, don't let this one slip past you; Itachi was never as evasive as you were, had married Izumi the moment he could, but you took your sweet time catching this girl so you had better not let her go," Madara snapped.

"Sakura is not going anywhere," Sasuke assured his grandfather.

"Good, and I want a great-grandbaby from you two soon, you two took long enough to get here and I'm getting too old to wait for more great-grandbabies," Madara huffed. Sasuke blinked at his grandfather's attitude and didn't mention that he and Sakura weren't aiming for kids right now.

He just numbly nodded his head and stood when Naruto came jogging down the hall saying it was time. the ceremony was pretty, it was small, quiet, intimate with only his family, her family, and their closest friends. Everyone there was happy for them too.

Kakashi warned Sasuke that he was entrusting Sakura to him and if he fucked it up in any capacity Sasuke would have a hole no one could fix. Sasuke had just graciously assured Kakashi that Sakura was going to be safe and sound with him; and he meant it.

The vows were quiet, traditional since neither of them were big on grand gestures of love; especially Sakura with how shy she was, and uncertain about the people surrounding her. However, this didn't worry him since he was an Uchiha and his entire family was naturally quiet about their love of another.

The reception was fun, he had never been a dancer but he had loved the way Sakura fit in his arms so he had enjoyed it. Kakashi had shed tears during the father-daughter dance, Sasuke was pleased with how happy Sakura was. When he was waved off from his wedding as he held her hand and pulled her along he decided to startle her and scooped her up. She squealed in shock, he had chuckled, and everyone behind them had laughed.

Sakura had never looked prettier in his mind as he watched her change and then followed him out of his apartment to the airport where he was certain there was a plane waiting for them. He had the first class tickets, and he had a plan as he walked with her through the airport to their terminal.

Sakura was babbling away about the wedding, he pulled her close and let his thumb rub the ring she had given him today, her own eyes were on her new ring with the engagement ring. She smiled and he kissed her temple as they boarded the plane.

It felt good to be doing this with her. As stupid as it sounded it felt right as she slept beside him on the plane, their fingers were entwined and he just smiled as he savored the feeling. An older couple said they were cute, he had just nodded, and Sakura never stirred as they flew to their honeymoon. She grumbled when the plane landed, he gently woke her so he wasn't slugged in the nose with her initial reaction.

He guided her to the hotel car and they drove to the hotel.

It started raining outside, so the beach was out, but he didn't think they'd have made it to the beach anyway. The moment they had gotten to the room the bags had dropped, he had her against the wall as he kissed her. Her fingers twined themselves in his hair and he pulled her off the wall as they landed on the bed.

"Sasuke," she gasped.

"Hn?" he grunted.

"I love you," she murmured and he smiled as he kissed her pulse which was ragged and he gingerly started peeling off the layers she was wearing.

"I love you," he promised as he sat back and looked at his gorgeous naked wife. She blushed under his gaze and he came back for the kiss he had been wanting since this had started.

The entire three weeks they were there it rained, relentlessly. But it didn't matter since he couldn't keep his hands off Sakura and he couldn't stop himself from pulling her close, from reveling in that sensation of having her so tightly wrapped around him and pulsing with life and in need. It was intoxicating.

She would always trust him, no matter what and that power, that sensation, that emotion, it was new to him since he was the one who rarely let other trust him completely. Not even his friends could trust him completely, and he knew it. While he was loyal to a fault there was a part of himself he always held back, always kept in check and always hid from the world to keep himself safe to keep himself whole. But with Sakura he douldn't even keep that bit of himself to himself.

"Good Kami woman you'll kill me," he whispered as he stared at the ceiling of their hotel room after three weeks of nonstop sex and relaxation.

"Mmm, I'm in nirvana already so I think I'm dead," she mumbled as she lay there struggling to stay awake.

"Don't die on me," he ordered.

"I'm not dying, yet, those orgasms though…" she sleepily yawned and he smirked as he pulled her close to him.

"When we return we're going to have to go back to living our lives, aren't we," she murmured.

"Aa," he affirmed sleepily.

"I don't want to live in your apartment, it's cold," she mumbled into his chest.

"That's why I bought a house," he grumbled.

"Huh?"

"Aa, I bought the house you always look at on the way to the hospital," he explained.

"The light green one with the tree in the yard?" she asked as she perked up.

"Aa," he replied.

"And when were you going to tell me this!?" she snapped as she straddled his stomach and hugged a sheet.

"When we got home, I was going to sneak you into agreeing to buy the house," he said now he was fully alert as he stared at his wife in nothing but a sheet.

"Sneak me?" she asked.

"Aa, you are a stubborn woman, some things take sneaking to get done with you," he argued back.

"And how were you going to accomplish this?"

"Show you a thousand properties you didn't want so when we got to the house you agreed, and didn't argue about the high price," Sasuke said as his hands slipped through the sheet and he traced her minimal curves. She scowled.

"That's sneaky, and underhanded, and familiar; how many times have you duped me that way!?" she demanded. He chuckled as he sat up, she squeaked as she slid into his lap, he pulled her close.

"If I told you then it would stop working," he murmured as he kissed her lips.

"That's devious though!" she gasped, his thumb slid over her sensitive nipple, she moaned. He loved how sensitive she was, it was rather amusing as she melted into his touch.

"That's the point Sa-kur-a," he said carefully as he kissed her jawline, chin and claimed her lips.

"Devious bastard!" she groaned when he pulled away.

"You have no idea," he assured and rolled her onto the bed, she gasped and he kissed her again. They still had a day left on their honeymoon and it was pouring outside. There was no better way to enjoy his time than to have sex with his very sexy wife who was reacting as he hooked a leg over his shoulder.

She moaned when he slipped into her, he groaned at that heat wrapping around him and heard her chanting his name as he moved.

Kami did he ever love this woman.

The return home was not exciting, it was rather dull as they both returned to their routines with one noteable exception and that was Sakura picking out furniture for their home since he had agreed to let her move them there immediately. It was alright with him, and it was a good space. Comfortable, it was rather like Kakashi's house in that way.

Neither a large home with too much room, nor a cramped home which would have him wanting to break out. Sakura was eagerly working on furnishing it, he only put his foot down on a few things but let her have free run with Izumi and Ino.

Everything was fine for him as he continued working the company. Izumi had tried insemination with the last of Itachi's samples, Sasuke only hoped she would be happy.

November came and November went, December rolled around and Izumi told him she was pregnant with the last child of Uchiha Itachi's line, Sasuke was happy for her, and he had chuckled at her secret glee about the matter. She loved the children, and Sasuke knew that come hell or high water Izumi was going to be alright and protect Itachi's children with everything they were.

The tabloids apparently found out about his marriage to Sakura, but they were months too late, and when he saw the photo of him Christmas shopping with his wife he had just snorted, called Shisui and asked him to put a guard on Sakura discreetly. Now that she was in the public's eye he didn't want a repeat of what had happened with Karin.

Sasuke enjoyed his godson, Boruto, who was born two days after his and Sakura's return from their honeymoon; the dobe had fainted and Sakura had helped Hinata have a home delivery. Sasuke had pictures for later blackmail of the dobe fainted on the carpet.

Christmas came and he celebrated it with his family, Sakura and Kakashi attended this year as well and Izuna and Naori were in heaven since they loved Kakashi and Sakura.

Come New Years though Temari and Ino announced their simultaneous pregnancies; they were apparently only a week apart. Sai and Shikamaru's faces at that announcement were priceless and he had smirked until they snapped at him that Sakura could be knocked up as well. Sasuke had paled at the thought for it brought up an aspect of his and Sakura's relationship he hadn't exactly thought about.

It wasn't that he didn't want children, but rather he didn't want them right now.

He had to carefully broach the subject with Sakura though as January blew into February and February had melted into March and a few weeks before her birthday.

"Sakura," he said as he caught her on her day off, and his day off; they were good together still as he sat with her on their couch, he took her feet in his lap and she smiled.

"Sasuke," she greeted.

"How do you feel about children?" he asked.

"Uh… I've never thought about it, I mean, I never thought I'd… get here, you know, sex, boyfriend, husband… stuff…" she blushed as she uncertainly stated that. "What about you?"

"I want them, but not right now," he said carefully.

"That's… that's a relief," she sighed and he nodded. It was a relief.

"What brought this up?" she asked.

"Ino and Temari," he said carefully.

"Oh," she nodded.

"Aa," he agreed and they chuckled and he pulled her into her.

"I would like a baby, just not right now," she said as he leant over her and kissed her lightly.

"Good," he whispered.

"Thank you again," she murmured and he smirked as he lifted her up and hurried to their bed before they lost a moment. What moments they had were precious, they weren't always frequent but they were precious. And he cherished every single one he could have with her. It wasn't crazy when he knew just how quick death could strike and he could lose everything. He wasn't losing this though, and he wasn't letting it go without a fight just yet. The woman beneath him whispered his name and he kissed her hard as he slid into her hard, hitting that spot which had her convulsing around him.

Later, he stared at her as she slept and he smirked.

Children would be nice, they would be, he would admit it since he adored his niece, nephew, and godson, but they weren't for them right now. And he was thankful Sakura was alright with that as he kissed her again and pulled her close before surrendering to sleep and savoring having her close to him.

* * *

 **If I find the last piece of this I'll write an epilogue for it because I know it doesn't have that, and probably post it tomorrow. Then George is off to the IT guy and hopefully he doesn't eat the poor guy.**

 **That's all for now folks!**

 **Enjoy A Force of Nature! =)**


	10. A Volcanic Eruption

**I Do Not Own Naruto**

 **Uchiha**

Sakura found that the most worrisome day of her life happened in September six weeks after her husband's twenty-ninth birthday. She was only twenty-eight herself and when it hit her. And it hit hard.

It was a normal day, she was discussing the way to remove an axe from a patient's head without killing him when she just collapsed. There was no warning, no the world wavering, none of the normal indicators of something coming to her, she just collapsed onto the ground and was out like a light.

She woke twenty minutes later confused as to why Sasuke was sitting beside her and why she was in a hospital bed. Tsunade came in five minutes after Sasuke telling her not to even attempt to get out of the bed or he'd duct tape her there. She believed him, but she wasn't happy about being forced to stay in the bed.

When Tsunade came in and said the very words Sakura had never thought she'd be hearing or saying to Sasuke everything froze, for both of them. Sakura was dismissed from work, she broke in the car then trying to say she didn't mean to get pregnant, but she was crying so hard no words could come out. Sasuke didn't say anything and she was panicking. She had cried herself into exhaustion and woke up to him sitting there. Again, she tried to say she didn't mean to get pregnant and he just shrugged and said it was earlier than he planned but they were going to be fine. Sakura had sat in his lap for the rest of the day now worrying about those fainting spells and if they happened when she was operating on someone. It could be very bad if she fainted when she was operating on someone.

Izumi had had her third son in August, she had named him Itachi and that was the first person Sasuke called for her when they had found out and she was panicking. Three hours after talking to Izumi Sakura felt a bit better about all of this but she was still nervous about as she talked to Tsunade about an appointment for OB-GYN. It was something to be nervous about.

Sasuke went with her and the moment she saw that little blip on the screen and was told that was her baby she felt very happy, relieved and a bit excited with her terrified. After what she had had for a mother Sakura was terrified of the very idea of motherhood; what if she turned out to be like her mother!? The thought was enough to have her wanting to hide for an eternity and die in a dark hole as she remembered Mebuki.

Kakashi had been the one to assure her that she was nothing like Mebuki, which was calming. September rolled into October and she looked at her two friends with sons of their own for comfort. Ino and Temari were active, working mothers, and Sakura found that comforting even on her days off when she agreed to take Inojin or Shikadai. She decided she could do this.

November was when she announced to the Uchiha family that she was in her third trimester of pregnancy. They had all congratulated her and offered to help. There was some truth to 'it took a village' when the Uchiha clan spoke of raising children. Izuna, Naori, and Itachi were transferred amongst the relatives with ease, and Sakura felt a bit happier with that knowledge as she accepted their help.

Come her second trimester there was no morning sickness, no fainting spells, but there was something about sex cravings she found to be very true. If Sakura and Sasuke had had an active sex life before during and before their marriage, then now she couldn't keep her hands off of him. Sasuke was more than happy to comply with her demands. He even took care of the odd three a.m. cravings she had, and just patiently got in the car and drove off to get what she wanted. She was pretty sure he liked the time away from her sometimes.

The other thing that drove her, and Sasuke bonkers, was her hormones, they could flip her around and have her from happy to tears in less than a second which was not helpful since she was a doctor and she couldn't be an emotional wreck. And yet… here she was, happy, to sad faster than a blink of an eye; it worried patients until she pointed to the baby bump and said hormones. Then everyone laughed. Sakura laughed with them but was worried about the rapid mood swings. They made her think of Mebuki, and that scared her. she went to a head shrink just to make sure this was just hormones and not… whatever Mebuki had suffered from.

It was just mood swings, thankfully.

She never told Sasuke, Tsunade, Izumi, Ino, Temari, Hinata, Kakashi or any Uchiha about her worries about her mood swings being something else, she didn't want Sasuke to worry more about her.

The worst day of her life came in just after Christmas, she started bleeding. Sasuke rushed her to the hospital, and it was told to her that she was lucky she had gotten there when she did. She had suffered a tear, but with careful monitoring, and bed rest with regulated exercise, she would be able to carry her baby to a healthy point for a C-section, and maybe even to term.

Sakura took everything she was told to do to heart, and she might have driven her husband insane with this but she was not losing her baby. It wasn't happening.

January she started looking at birth plans, and everything that was possibly going to happen and again she felt a bit overwhelmed. Sasuke had said they'd do what she wanted to do since it was her body, but he drew the line at her desire for a home birth saying she was going to be in a hospital surrounded by doctors. She pointed out she was a doctor and he had only snapped that she was going to be surrounded by doctors who weren't laboring and birthing.

She saw his valid point and submitted to Sasuke's will especially when he pointed out she might not get a say and would have a C-section. Sakura had surrendered at that point though and he had won. If she didn't happen to love him so much she'd have punched him to get that smug look off his face.

February came with a vicious vengeance, she just endured and took her Lamaze classes with Sasuke. Tsunade said it was very possible that she would carry her baby to term with how she was doing, but she was still on restrictions.

Sasuke and she argued about the nursery, mostly because they had agreed to keep the sex of their baby a surprise way back in the beginning of this pregnancy. But still, she was now regretting that decision since she wanted to know what they were having so she could theme the nursery. Sasuke had held firm on it remaining a surprise.

They painted the nursery blue and green, and said if they had a daughter they could paint flowers for her. Sakura was happy with that. and perhaps she went a bit overboard with buying stuffed animals, but they were just so cute and she loved it. Sasuke had just let, which had her grinning in delight because; despite her mood swings; she was really happy with Sasuke and her baby.

March hit hard and it was a day she was home because her shifts at the hospital were regulated rigorously by Tsunade now when she got the call.

She was sitting at home, it was March 4th, and she was reading a parenting book trying to figure out what was coming. She saw her phone ringing, but didn't look at who was calling as she answered.

"Sasuke, I'm fine, I told you to go on the business trip and it's only a weekend," she assured her worrying husband who was gone for the weekend.

"Is this Uchiha Sakura," an unknown voice asked which had her sobering up.

"Who is this?"

"This is Dr. Yamato Tenzō,"

"What happened? What's this about?" she demanded.

"Ma'am, I have some bad news about your husband, he's been in an accident," the man started and Sakura bit her trembling then as she let the doctor in her take over.

"What hospital? Where is he? Tell me now!" she snapped as she maneuvered her bulk off the couch and grabbed a pen in paper.

"Suna General," the man replied.

"I'll be there as fast as I can," she said firmly.

"Ma'am, we're calling to tell you that, he's in surgery," the man said.

"Dr. Yamato, I am a surgeon, I will be there myself in three hours! You had better have answers for me when I get there!" she roared and called Tsunade then.

"Tsunade, I need your help, I need to get to Suna, now," she said quickly and explained what had happened as she quickly packed a small bag and took her birth plan just in case as she waddled to the door of her house and maneuvered her bulk down the stairs of her home when Tsunade pulled up to the curb, got out, grabbed her bag and helped her into the car then.

"What happened?" Tsunade demanded as she took the fastest route to Suna then.

"I don't know," Sakura burst into hysterical sobs then as Tsunade broke traffic laws.

Arriving at Suna General two hours and fourty-nine minutes after having received that call Sakura walked in with Dr. Senju Tsunade who was on a rampage to find Uchiha Sasuke.

"Where the hell is Uchiha Sasuke!?" Tsunade roared and when a stammering fool didn't answer her Sakura watched as her mentor lifted the man up. Sasuke was out of surgery and in ICU, Sakura had gone right up there.

The nurses had tried to get her to leave but she called Madara, explained and after he threatened Suna General's board she was sitting with Sasuke and Tsunade was standing guard then. Hesitantly she lifted his hand to her lips and stared at her husband.

"You have to wake up Sasuke, you have to," she whispered. He was missing his left arm just above the elbow and the crush injuries to his left side worried her, but with Tsunade standing guard over Sasuke there was less to worry about. At least to Sakura there was less to worry about.

Kakashi was the first to arrive in Suna, then there was Shisui with Izumi, Izuna, Naori, and Itachi, then Madara came with Obito. Shikamaru had come the moment he could, bringing Naruto and Sai, and with Shikamaru, Naruto and Sai came Temari, Shikadai, Ino, Inojin, Hinata, and Boruto. And no one dared to try to make Sakura leave as she sat with Sasuke the entire time.

Sasuke woke on March 10th, and only groaned. She had cried, and yelled at him, for scaring her. all he remembered was going straight on a green when something t-boned him on the left and the pain. Sakura told him that a drunk driver had plowed into him and that they hadn't been able to save his left arm. Sasuke swore, then asked why she was here.

The moment he was able to be transferred to Konoha General that's what happened. Tsunade had made all the arrangements, and Sakura got to ride with Sasuke back home.

Their baby was a week late now as March 27th rolled around and Sakura celebrated her twenty-ninth birthday. The twinges and back pains were nothing, and the Braxton Hicks contractions were irritating the hell out of her. Sakura loved it when she had Sasuke's right hand on her belly rubbing it, it felt good, and everything fucking hurt.

March 31st Sakura's water broke when she was walking around the hospital with her husband who was leaning on a crutch.

From there her labor had progressed quickly and about three hours later; because no C-section was needed, she screamed, cursed and gave birth to her daughter who came into the world without making a sound. After they were both cleaned up and her daughter was thoroughly examined Sakura smiled as Sasuke was presented their daughter, it was an amazing image as she stared at him; all bandaged, healing bruises, missing arm, sitting in a wheel chair holding their newborn. Sakura smiled.

"She looks like you," Sasuke said softly.

"Really, because I think she defiantly looks like her father," Sakura sighed as Sasuke carefully moved to sit on her bed as he held their daughter. Sakura looked at the little bundle of black hair, and solemn black hair; she hadn't cried yet, but Tsunade said her lungs were good and that was all Sakura really cared about.

"She's so tiny," Sakura murmured.

"Aa," Sasuke agreed.

"What about Sarada?" Sakura murmured as she gently traced her baby's cheek.

"Sarada?"

"Yeah, for the hindu goddess of wisdom, and… for your brother," she murmured with a large yawn.

"You want to name her for Itachi?" he murmured.

"Uh-huh, he was important to you, and I know you miss him and I miss him, and she kind of looks like him with those lashes," Sakura mumbled sleepily. It had taken a lot of energy to have this little bundle of joy, and she was very happy as she smiled at her daughter.

"Uchiha Sarada it is then," Sasuke murmured.

"Good," Sakura agreed as she carefully lifted her baby into her arms for a feeding. She was going to try to do this the natural way, and Tsunade had given her maternity leave and medical leave to help with Sasuke who would be coming home next week; though after having Sarada here Sakura wasn't sure either of them were getting home sooner rather than later.

"I called the family," he murmured as Sakura fed the greedy baby who was suckling awkwardly.

"They'll be happy for us, right?" she whispered.

"Sakura, they're going to be thrilled for us, though your uncle is coming to live with us for a bit," Sasuke warned her and she looked at Sasuke then. he gave her a bland look and she just nodded.

"Alright, you'll like Gandpa Kakashi," Sakura assured her daughter.

"And she likes her Grandma Tsunade already!" Tsunade declared as she sauntered into the room. Sakura chuckled as she looked at her mentor whom she had grown exceptionally close to during the duration of her pregnancy.

"Thank you, Tsunade," Sasuke said softly.

"Of course, you're my family now," Tsunade assured them and Sakura smiled as she leant back; feeling very beat up and ripped up but very pleased with herself as she looked at her baby. Sarada stared at her with large onyx eyes and Sakura saw all the Uchiha in her daughter that there was to see and felt very proud of herself again.

"I'm never going to let you know what it feels like to be unloved," she promised her daughter softly so Sasuke didn't hear her.

Hours later she was sound asleep and her family had taken over watching over Sarada as she and Sasuke shared the cramped hospital bed. Exhaustion did not even begin to describe how she felt or how her husband felt no doubt.

Now they had to survive parenthood; a terrifying prospect in her mind as she surrendered to sleep.

* * *

 **I'm going to write up an epilogue for this now, and then I'll post it and this Force of Nature Arch is complete! =) Then I'm going to take George to the IT guy, and after he's wiped clean I'm taking a sledge hammer to him! Mwahahahahahaha!**

 **That's all for now folks!**

 **Enjoy A Force of Nature! =)**


	11. A Wild Fire

**I Do Not Own Naruto**

 **Uchiha**

Today was her sixth birthday, she was grinning in delight in hopes of receiving the pet dragon she had asked for; unicorns weren't real and to think they were was stupid! But dragons were real.

She laughed as she chased her cousins, Izuna, Naori, Itachi, and Rin. She squealed when her little brothers Satoru and Sadao came running out to play. Shikadai tagged her as he darted off and Sarada tore after him because he was being mean now! Boruto tripped her and she crashed into Himawari, who sat up with big fat tears rolling down her cheeks before she burst into tears. Sarada was about to try to comfort the toddler when Inojin appeared with a flower for Himawari and all was alright.

Sarada got Shikadai and Itachi to help her plan revenge on Boruto for making his sister cry and she charged after Boruto.

At six she was very happy, yes, everything was perfect!

Her Aunt Izumi was married to her Uncle Shisui, and her cousin Rin was the youngest of her cousings, but Izumi had been married to her uncle Itachi before he had died and they had had Izuna, Naori, and Itachi together.

Her Uncle Obito helped her Great-Grandpa Madara with living; Uncle Obito also was a widower, like Aunt Izumi, but he hadn't ever married again after losing Aunt Rin; who her cousin Rin was named for. Grandpa Madara; who went by Grandpa, always had a treat for her and she loved that because she liked sweets even if her mama said they would rot her teeth.

Then there was her Uncle Shikamaru and Aunt Temari; though they weren't really her uncle and aunt. Their son Shikadai was her bestest friend in the entire world; even if he was lazier than a sea slug. She liked learning shōgi from Uncle Shikamaru, and playing against Shikadai; who was seven, but still her bestest friend; they were in the same grade together too, though that was two grades ahead of all their other friends as she was in the same grade as cousin Izuna.

There was her uncle Sai and aunt Ino, but they weren't really her uncle and aunt either, she just called them that. Their son Inojin was another one of her best friends; he wasn't her bestest friend, but he was one of her best friends. Uncle Sai was teaching her how to paint, and Aunt Ino was teaching her the language of flowers; which was VERY important, even Inojin was learning it!

There was also her Uncle Naruto and Aunt Hinata, but they weren't really her uncle and aunt. They had Boruto; 'dobe jr.' according to her papa, and Himawari. Boruto was seven also, but he was in the same grade as Inojin, and he was a prat. She didn't like him all the time, but he was a best friend of hers', and had been since she was a baby. However, she adored his little sister Himawari who was the same age as her little brother Sadao, three.

Sarada also had Grandpa Kakashi, who she loved, and he spoiled her rotten; she was always getting presents from him and she loved it. He was even showing her how cars worked; and she loved taking them apart with Kakashi.

Then there was Grandmama Tsunade, who was a doctor like her mama, and Sarada had decided she was going to be a doctor just like her mama and grandmama. She loved hanging out at the hospital and seeing the x-rays; she thought the bones were fascinating. Also, it was cool that there was a machine which could see the insides of people to see if they were healthy or broke.

But Sarada's favorite people in the world was her mama and her papa.

Her papa was missing his left arm, and she had asked about why he didn't have one of the robot arms grandmama had shown her, but he had said he didn't need it. Watching her father she guessed he really didn't need a robot arm for his missing arm. Her papa always took her with him to work, she loved the view from his office, but he told her that all of this was her cousins' because it had been Uncle Itachi's. When she asked why it wasn't hers, he said he was just watching over it for Itachi, but there was so much more for her and her brothers than just this company. That had pleased her. Her papa loved giving her math problems and she found them so much fun to play with; she found out recently it was calculous she was playing with. Whatever that was, it was stupidly easy, but teachers didn't like it when she pointed that out so she just played with it when she was with her papa.

Her mama was the coolest mama ever too! Mama had natural pink hair, a tattoo on her forehead; one Sarada secretly wanted to copy because it looked really pretty on her mama's brow. But her mama was a surgeon, it was really cool and Sarada got to hang out at the hospital, and when no one was watching her she could sneak into observation and see her mama saving lives in surgery. It was cool! And Sarada was going to be like her mama and be a surgeon one day. Yup, her mind was made up on that; it was so cool! Also, her mama always made Sarada's plain black hair look pretty and she loved that.

Sarada also was the big sister of Satoru, and Sadao. Her little brothers were her pride and joy, and she had beaten up one Mitsuki for picking on them and yelled at him to never look at her brothers again! No one made fun of her brothers.

Satoru was four, and Sadao was three. The really cool thing was that Satoru was born in January; January 5th, to be exact. And then Sadao was born December of the same year, December 30th to be exact. She had year twin brothers! She thought it was cool!

Now she was about to be a big sister again as her mama's tummy was growing again; Sarada was hoping for a baby sister this time, she didn't want another brother.

She smiled when she smelt the ice-cream cake (she didn't like real cake, but she loved ice-cream cake) and the candles as her Aunt Izumi came out with her Uncle Shisui singing happy birthday.

Best day ever!

She ran over to the table and took her seat with her family there and grinned in delight at seeing a dragon breathing fire in the frosting. She frown a bit when a spring shower started as she blew out her candles out but grinned as she was served a hefty corner piece.

Best birthday ever!

* * *

 **And that concludes the Force of Nature Arch.**

 **That's all folks!**

 **Enjoy A Force of Nature! =)**

 **I'm going to have fun destroying George now! 😈**


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